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
61	Ikeja, Nigeria	861,300	111
62	Libreville, Gabon	850,000	72
63	Lome, Togo	837,437	52
64	Bouake, Ivory Coast	832,371	36
65	Lilongwe, Malawi	781,538	34
66	Cotonou, Benin	780,000	41
67	Abuja, Nigeria	776,298	48
68	Kaduna, Nigeria	760,084	14
69	Pretoria, South Africa	741,651	63
70	Oyo, Nigeria	736,100	28
71	Tunis, Tunisia	728,453	40
72	Zanzibar, Tanzania	709,809	27
73	Matola, Mozambique	675,422	46
74	Bujumbura, Burundi	658,859	25
75	Tanta, Egypt	658,798	16
76	Bulawayo, Zimbabwe	653,337	35
77	Abomey-Calavi, Benin	650,000	34
78	Benghazi, Libya	631,555	20
79	Polokwane, South Africa	628,999	45
80	Pietermaritzburg, South Africa	618,536	49
81	Arusha, Tanzania	617,631	10
82	Oran, Algeria	609,940	29
83	Misrata, Libya	600,000	20
84	Asmara, Eritrea	579,000	63
85	Rabat, Morocco	573,895	41
86	Asyut, Egypt	562,743	16
87	Rustenburg, South Africa	549,575	46
88	Mbeya, Tanzania	541,603	19
89	Takoradi, Ghana	539,548	27
90	Port Said, Egypt	538,378	21

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

Last update: August 25, 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.