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	Price per month for a nomad	Living Index
31	Wenzhou, China	9,300,000	$624	30
32	Weifang, China	9,277,200	$567	27
33	Jinan, China	9,202,432	$645	31
34	Shenyang, China	9,199,601	$706	34
35	Xuzhou, China	9,083,790	$603	29
36	Changchun, China	9,066,906	$915	44
37	Zhoukou, China	8,953,172	$753	36
38	Heze, China	8,795,939	$697	33
39	Nanning, China	8,741,584	$743	35
40	Hanoi, Vietnam	8,587,100	$807	38
41	Bangalore, India	8,495,492	$561	27
42	Jining, China	8,357,897	$675	32
43	Fuzhou, China	8,291,268	$769	37
44	Dongguan, China	8,254,100	$827	39
45	Quanzhou, China	8,128,530	$812	39
46	Tehran, Iran	8,000,000	$617	29
47	Nantong, China	7,726,635	$749	36
48	Tangshan, China	7,717,983	$711	34
49	Ningbo, China	7,605,689	$692	33
50	Wuxi, China	7,462,135	$751	36
51	Dalian, China	7,450,785	$922	44
52	Yancheng, China	7,260,240	$700	33
53	Baghdad, Iraq	7,216,040	$1,032	50
54	Surat, India	6,936,534	$808	39
55	Hyderabad, India	6,809,970	$505	24
56	Zunyi, China	6,606,675	$716	34
57	Ahmedabad, India	6,352,254	$531	25
58	Huanggang, China	6,291,000	$738	35
59	Allahabad, India	5,959,798	$310	15
60	Jieyang, China	5,877,025	$689	33

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.