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
151	Jinzhou, China	2,703,853	36
152	Osaka, Japan	2,691,185	68
153	Taipei, Taiwan	2,635,286	74
154	Chittagong, Bangladesh	2,592,439	18
155	Chaozhou, China	2,568,387	31
156	Longyan, China	2,559,545	36
157	Daegu, South Korea	2,528,933	68
158	Visakhapatnam, India	2,526,000	22
159	Puning, China	2,508,900	36
160	Nagpur, India	2,405,700	27
161	Bandung, Indonesia	2,390,120	32
162	Bekasi, Indonesia	2,334,871	38
163	Xining, China	2,333,700	36
164	Jodhpur, India	2,330,000	19
165	Baku, Azerbaijan	2,300,500	46
166	Adana, Turkey	2,258,718	49
167	Nagoya, Japan	2,236,000	69
168	Ludhiana, India	2,232,000	26
169	Tangerang, Indonesia	2,185,304	40
170	Gaziantep, Turkey	2,164,134	48
171	Konya, Turkey	2,161,303	58
172	Jiamusi, China	2,156,505	36
173	Basra, Iraq	2,150,000	37
174	Taoyuan, Taiwan	2,147,763	56
175	Sanliurfa, Turkey	2,143,020	51
176	Aleppo, Syria	2,132,100	35
177	Zaozhuang, China	2,125,000	36
178	Quzhou, China	2,122,661	35
179	Hai Phong, Vietnam	2,105,000	34
180	Rawalpindi, Pakistan	2,098,231	22

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.