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
241	Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia	1,401,200	57
242	Sharjah, United Arab Emirates	1,400,000	79
243	Manisa, Turkey	1,396,945	49
244	Panjin, China	1,389,691	35
245	Kayseri, Turkey	1,389,680	49
246	Hong Kong, Hong Kong (China)	1,367,900	140
247	Kurukshetra, India	1,340,871	15
248	Xianyang, China	1,324,612	31
249	Fushun, China	1,322,098	36
250	Doha, Qatar	1,312,947	99
251	Samsun, Turkey	1,295,927	50
252	South Tangerang, Indonesia	1,290,322	40
253	Rajkot, India	1,286,678	19
254	Can Tho, Vietnam	1,258,900	34
255	Da Nang, Vietnam	1,245,200	35
256	Tbilisi, Georgia	1,241,700	60
257	Yiwu, China	1,234,015	36
258	Liaocheng, China	1,230,000	34
259	Shymkent, Kazakhstan	1,222,055	34
260	An Najaf, Iraq	1,221,248	34
261	Maoming, China	1,217,000	35
262	Suwon, South Korea	1,203,000	69
263	Hiroshima, Japan	1,200,754	52
264	Batam, Indonesia	1,196,396	34
265	Balikesir, Turkey	1,196,170	45
266	Ahvaz, Iran	1,184,788	28
267	Saitama, Japan	1,182,115	57
268	Srinagar, India	1,180,570	19
269	Chifeng, China	1,175,391	36
270	Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, India	1,175,116	20

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.