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	$812	39
92	Oujda, Morocco	494,252	$644	31
93	Suez, Egypt	488,125	$360	17
94	Djibouti, Djibouti	475,332	$2,065	99
95	Morogoro, Tanzania	471,409	$377	18
96	Tembisa, South Africa	463,109	$1,097	52
97	Ndola, Zambia	455,194	$702	34
98	Luxor, Egypt	451,318	$477	23
99	Constantine, Algeria	448,374	$618	30
100	Ado-ekiti, Nigeria	446,749	$688	33
101	El Mahalla El Kubra, Egypt	431,052	$395	19
102	Anyama, Ivory Coast	389,592	$713	34
103	Akure, Nigeria	387,087	$277	13
104	Tetouan, Morocco	380,787	$649	31
105	Bafoussam, Cameroon	373,268	$960	46
106	Bloemfontein, South Africa	370,000	$1,074	52
107	Sixth of October City, Egypt	368,650	$370	17
108	Newcastle, South Africa	363,236	$1,051	50
109	Ismailia, Egypt	352,000	$323	16
110	Randburg, South Africa	335,000	$1,075	52
111	Roodepoort, South Africa	325,000	$1,187	57
112	Safi, Morocco	323,888	$587	28
113	Windhoek, Namibia	322,500	$1,193	57
114	Zawiya, Libya	318,726	$441	21
115	Temara, Morocco	313,510	$751	36
116	Nakuru, Kenya	307,990	$650	31
117	El Faiyum, Egypt	306,393	$390	19
118	Brakpan, South Africa	305,692	$1,110	53
119	Minna, Nigeria	304,000	$578	28
120	New Cairo, Egypt	298,343	$663	32

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

Last update: November 10, 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.