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 Asia Central Asia Eastern Asia Southern Asia South-Eastern Asia Western Asia

Rank	City	Population	Living Index
271	Aurangabad, India	1,175,116	19
272	Hue, Vietnam	1,166,500	25
273	Dhanbad, India	1,162,472	16
274	Zhoushan, China	1,157,817	33
275	Langfang, China	1,147,591	33
276	Anyang, China	1,147,000	34
277	Rizhao, China	1,143,000	37
278	Van, Turkey	1,141,015	45
279	Amritsar, India	1,132,761	19
280	Ulsan, South Korea	1,129,827	71
281	Yerevan, Armenia	1,129,300	73
282	Navi Mumbai, India	1,120,547	27
283	Aydin, Turkey	1,119,084	44
284	Kahramanmaras, Turkey	1,112,634	50
285	Medina, Saudi Arabia	1,100,093	74
286	Sakarya, Turkey	1,094,481	54
287	Muscat, Oman	1,090,797	67
288	Zhucheng, China	1,086,222	36
289	Sendai, Japan	1,082,159	62
290	Qom, Iran	1,075,000	22
291	Ranchi, India	1,074,000	22
292	Howrah, India	1,072,161	19
293	Changwon, South Korea	1,055,839	74
294	Denizli, Turkey	1,051,056	57
295	Coimbatore, India	1,050,000	19
296	Vijayawada, India	1,048,240	22
297	Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia	1,047,356	46
298	Sanya, China	1,031,396	38
299	Chandigarh, India	1,028,667	23
300	Pekanbaru, Indonesia	1,020,308	34

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

Last update: February 24, 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.