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
91	Agadir, Morocco	504,768	$804	38
92	Oujda, Morocco	494,252	$636	31
93	Suez, Egypt	488,125	$349	17
94	Djibouti, Djibouti	475,332	$2,070	99
95	Morogoro, Tanzania	471,409	$376	18
96	Tembisa, South Africa	463,109	$1,097	52
97	Ndola, Zambia	455,194	$700	34
98	Luxor, Egypt	451,318	$462	22
99	Constantine, Algeria	448,374	$616	29
100	Ado-ekiti, Nigeria	446,749	$691	33
101	El Mahalla El Kubra, Egypt	431,052	$386	18
102	Anyama, Ivory Coast	389,592	$714	34
103	Akure, Nigeria	387,087	$277	13
104	Tetouan, Morocco	380,787	$649	31
105	Bafoussam, Cameroon	373,268	$959	46
106	Bloemfontein, South Africa	370,000	$1,061	51
107	Sixth of October City, Egypt	368,650	$356	17
108	Newcastle, South Africa	363,236	$1,020	50
109	Ismailia, Egypt	352,000	$313	15
110	Randburg, South Africa	335,000	$1,057	51
111	Roodepoort, South Africa	325,000	$1,173	56
112	Safi, Morocco	323,888	$583	28
113	Windhoek, Namibia	322,500	$1,172	56
114	Zawiya, Libya	318,726	$438	21
115	Temara, Morocco	313,510	$746	36
116	Nakuru, Kenya	307,990	$643	31
117	El Faiyum, Egypt	306,393	$381	18
118	Brakpan, South Africa	305,692	$1,103	53
119	Minna, Nigeria	304,000	$579	28
120	New Cairo, Egypt	298,343	$691	33

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.