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
91	Meknes, Morocco	520,428	34
92	10th of Ramadan, Egypt	511,987	19
93	Kenitra, Morocco	507,736	31
94	Agadir, Morocco	504,768	34
95	Oujda, Morocco	494,252	33
96	Suez, Egypt	488,125	18
97	Djibouti, Djibouti	475,332	94
98	Morogoro, Tanzania	471,409	17
99	Tembisa, South Africa	463,109	53
100	Ndola, Zambia	455,194	35
101	Luxor, Egypt	451,318	23
102	Constantine, Algeria	448,374	29
103	Ado-ekiti, Nigeria	446,749	31
104	El Mahalla El Kubra, Egypt	431,052	20
105	Anyama, Ivory Coast	389,592	34
106	Akure, Nigeria	387,087	13
107	Tetouan, Morocco	380,787	32
108	Bloemfontein, South Africa	370,000	50
109	Newcastle, South Africa	363,236	50
110	Ismailia, Egypt	352,000	16
111	Randburg, South Africa	335,000	50
112	Roodepoort, South Africa	325,000	53
113	Safi, Morocco	323,888	28
114	Windhoek, Namibia	322,500	57
115	Zawiya, Libya	318,726	19
116	Temara, Morocco	313,510	36
117	Nakuru, Kenya	307,990	29
118	El Faiyum, Egypt	306,393	21
119	Minna, Nigeria	304,000	26
120	New Cairo, Egypt	298,343	34

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.