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	Price per month for a nomad	Living Index
1	Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo	17,032,322	$1,725	83
2	Lagos, Nigeria	10,404,112	$964	46
3	Cairo, Egypt	9,120,350	$614	29
4	Abidjan, Ivory Coast	7,567,409	$1,211	58
5	Dar es Salaam, Tanzania	5,383,728	$701	34
6	Alexandria, Egypt	4,546,231	$432	21
7	Johannesburg, South Africa	4,434,827	$1,406	67
8	Cape Town, South Africa	3,740,026	$1,527	74
9	Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	3,500,000	$1,306	63
10	Durban, South Africa	3,442,361	$1,120	54
11	Algiers, Algeria	3,415,811	$585	28
12	Casablanca, Morocco	3,215,935	$1,005	48
13	Nairobi, Kenya	3,138,295	$881	42
14	Ibadan, Nigeria	3,034,200	$252	12
15	Khartoum, Sudan	2,682,431	$462	22
16	Giza, Egypt	2,681,863	$457	22
17	Mogadishu, Somalia	2,610,000	$604	29
18	Luanda, Angola	2,600,000	$995	48
19	Dakar, Senegal	2,396,800	$1,385	66
20	Accra, Ghana	2,388,000	$1,074	52
21	Tripoli, Libya	2,127,000	$551	26
22	Douala, Cameroon	2,000,000	$1,330	64
23	Hargeysa, Somalia	1,960,000	$451	22
24	Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo	1,932,610	$1,918	92
25	Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso	1,915,102	$1,169	56
26	Meru, Kenya	1,833,000	$520	25
27	Yaounde, Cameroon	1,817,524	$704	34
28	Lusaka, Zambia	1,742,979	$860	41
29	Bamenda, Cameroon	1,735,000	$674	32
30	Conakry, Guinea	1,660,973	$1,351	65

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

Last update: November 3, 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.