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
331	Bareilly, India	898,167	19
332	Ankang, China	894,853	33
333	Eskisehir, Turkey	888,828	52
334	Mysore, India	887,446	18
335	Antipolo, Philippines	887,399	38
336	Jerusalem, Israel	882,652	126
337	Gurgaon, India	876,824	30
338	Aligarh, India	872,575	19
339	Lhasa, China	867,891	35
340	Gongzhuling, China	862,313	29
341	Johor Bahru, Malaysia	858,118	48
342	Malang, Indonesia	857,891	24
343	Kirkuk, Iraq	850,787	29
344	Bucheon, South Korea	848,191	75
345	Cheongju, South Korea	835,669	64
346	Bogor, Indonesia	834,000	30
347	Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China	831,113	33
348	Salem, India	831,038	19
349	Sulaymaniyah, Iraq	823,199	37
350	Trabzon, Turkey	816,684	50
351	Astana, Kazakhstan	814,400	45
352	Shah Alam, Malaysia	812,327	43
353	Warangal, India	811,844	16
354	Niigata, Japan	811,639	57
355	Benxi, China	809,655	33
356	Pasig, Philippines	803,159	44
357	Hamamatsu, Japan	797,033	55
358	George Town, Malaysia	794,313	42
359	Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia	788,445	48
360	Vientiane, Laos	783,000	71

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.