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
121	Mahdia, Tunisia	79,545	$562	27
122	Essaouira, Morocco	77,966	$772	37
123	Sidi Kacem, Morocco	75,672	$658	31
124	El Kef, Tunisia	73,710	$627	29
125	Nabeul, Tunisia	73,128	$683	33
126	Le Bardo, Tunisia	71,961	$701	33
127	Ouarzazate, Morocco	71,067	$709	34
128	Mohammedia, Tunisia	66,593	$675	33
129	Menzel Temime, Tunisia	65,645	$700	34
130	Ain Defla, Algeria	65,453	$523	25
131	Martil, Morocco	64,355	$655	31
132	Lakhdaria, Algeria	59,746	$514	25
133	Manouba, Tunisia	58,792	$652	31
134	Kelibia, Tunisia	58,491	$653	31
135	Beja, Tunisia	57,000	$621	30
136	Msaken, Tunisia	56,000	$650	31
137	Tataouine, Tunisia	56,000	$461	22
138	Ksar Hellal, Tunisia	55,415	$701	33
139	Aja, Egypt	47,013	$373	18
140	Hassi Messaoud, Algeria	45,147	$519	25
141	Boumerdes, Algeria	41,685	$549	26
142	Tozeur, Tunisia	37,365	$592	29
143	Azazga, Algeria	34,683	$518	25
144	Ain Taoujdate, Morocco	28,288	$790	38
145	Tipasa, Algeria	25,225	$523	25
146	Djemila, Algeria	24,145	$544	26
147	Carthage, Tunisia	21,276	$696	33
148	El Gouna, Egypt	15,000	$462	22
149	Ifrane, Morocco	14,659	$745	36
150	Al `alamayn, Egypt	7,400	$414	20

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.