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
31	Weifang, China	9,277,200	26
32	Jinan, China	9,202,432	30
33	Shenyang, China	9,199,601	33
34	Xuzhou, China	9,083,790	28
35	Changchun, China	9,066,906	38
36	Zhoukou, China	8,953,172	34
37	Heze, China	8,795,939	32
38	Nanning, China	8,741,584	33
39	Hanoi, Vietnam	8,587,100	36
40	Jining, China	8,357,897	31
41	Fuzhou, China	8,291,268	35
42	Dongguan, China	8,254,100	38
43	Quanzhou, China	8,128,530	37
44	Tehran, Iran	8,000,000	28
45	Nantong, China	7,726,635	34
46	Tangshan, China	7,717,983	33
47	Ningbo, China	7,605,689	32
48	Wuxi, China	7,462,135	35
49	Dalian, China	7,450,785	42
50	Yancheng, China	7,260,240	32
51	Baghdad, Iraq	7,216,040	52
52	Surat, India	6,936,534	37
53	Hyderabad, India	6,809,970	22
54	Zunyi, China	6,606,675	33
55	Ahmedabad, India	6,352,254	23
56	Huanggang, China	6,291,000	33
57	Allahabad, India	5,959,798	14
58	Jieyang, China	5,877,025	31
59	Ankara, Turkey	5,864,049	62
60	Changde, China	5,717,200	30

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

Last update: August 25, 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.