Most and Least Affordable Cities by City Size

Explore how affordability varies by city size around the world. This ranking compares the most and least affordable cities within small, mid-sized, and large population categories, helping you understand how urban scale impacts cost of living. Use the interactive table and map to filter cities by size group and compare Cost of Living Index values. Whether you're looking for a budget-friendly small city or evaluating affordability in major global hubs, this page provides a clear, data-driven comparison.

Lowest

Highest

Region Worldwide Africa Northern Africa Western Africa Middle Africa Eastern Africa Southern Africa

Rank	City	Population	Living Index
1	Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo	17,032,322	81
2	Lagos, Nigeria	10,404,112	44
3	Cairo, Egypt	9,120,350	30
4	Abidjan, Ivory Coast	7,567,409	57
5	Dar es Salaam, Tanzania	5,383,728	33
6	Alexandria, Egypt	4,546,231	22
7	Johannesburg, South Africa	4,434,827	67
8	Cape Town, South Africa	3,740,026	75
9	Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	3,500,000	61
10	Durban, South Africa	3,442,361	53
11	Algiers, Algeria	3,415,811	28
12	Casablanca, Morocco	3,215,935	48
13	Nairobi, Kenya	3,138,295	40
14	Ibadan, Nigeria	3,034,200	12
15	Khartoum, Sudan	2,682,431	23
16	Giza, Egypt	2,681,863	21
17	Mogadishu, Somalia	2,610,000	29
18	Luanda, Angola	2,600,000	47
19	Dakar, Senegal	2,396,800	68
20	Accra, Ghana	2,388,000	51
21	Tripoli, Libya	2,127,000	25
22	Douala, Cameroon	2,000,000	64
23	Hargeysa, Somalia	1,960,000	21
24	Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo	1,932,610	91
25	Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso	1,915,102	56
26	Meru, Kenya	1,833,000	24
27	Yaounde, Cameroon	1,817,524	38
28	Bamako, Mali	1,809,106	45
29	Lusaka, Zambia	1,742,979	42
30	Bamenda, Cameroon	1,735,000	32

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update: September 15, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Affordability is based on the Cost of Living Index, which compares average expenses such as housing, food, transportation, and services. Cities are grouped by population size to allow fair comparisons within similar urban categories.

Larger cities often have higher housing demand, stronger job markets, and greater infrastructure costs, which can increase living expenses. Smaller cities may offer lower housing and daily costs but sometimes fewer economic opportunities.

Not always. While small cities are often more affordable, factors like salary levels, job availability, quality of life, and services should also be considered. This ranking helps you compare affordability within each city size category.