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
31	Harare, Zimbabwe	1,606,000	50
32	Kumasi, Ghana	1,517,000	22
33	Kampala, Uganda	1,516,210	37
34	Port Harcourt, Nigeria	1,382,592	46
35	Mombasa, Kenya	1,300,000	31
36	Antananarivo, Madagascar	1,274,225	29
37	Soweto, South Africa	1,270,000	50
38	Maputo, Mozambique	1,244,227	55
39	Fes, Morocco	1,167,842	33
40	Kisumu, Kenya	1,155,574	30
41	Benin, Nigeria	1,147,188	23
42	Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo	1,139,064	55
43	Kigali, Rwanda	1,132,686	40
44	N'Djamena, Chad	1,092,066	54
45	Port Elizabeth, South Africa	1,050,000	59
46	Ogbomosho, Nigeria	1,032,000	23
47	Niamey, Niger	1,026,848	68
48	Shubra Al Khaymah, Egypt	1,016,722	23
49	Monrovia, Liberia	1,010,970	70
50	Marrakech, Morocco	1,002,697	45
51	Blantyre, Malawi	994,500	38
52	Nouakchott, Mauritania	958,399	42
53	Sfax, Tunisia	955,421	31
54	Freetown, Sierra Leone	951,000	97
55	Tangier, Morocco	947,952	44
56	Jos, Nigeria	900,000	50
57	Sale, Morocco	890,403	39
58	Abeokuta, Nigeria	888,924	56
59	Ikeja, Nigeria	861,300	53
60	Libreville, Gabon	850,000	83

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

Last update: February 24, 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.