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	54
242	Sharjah, United Arab Emirates	1,400,000	84
243	Manisa, Turkey	1,396,945	44
244	Panjin, China	1,389,691	32
245	Kayseri, Turkey	1,389,680	42
246	Hong Kong, Hong Kong (China)	1,367,900	133
247	Kurukshetra, India	1,340,871	13
248	Xianyang, China	1,324,612	22
249	Fushun, China	1,322,098	35
250	Doha, Qatar	1,312,947	100
251	Samsun, Turkey	1,295,927	42
252	South Tangerang, Indonesia	1,290,322	31
253	Rajkot, India	1,286,678	16
254	Can Tho, Vietnam	1,258,900	32
255	Da Nang, Vietnam	1,245,200	39
256	Tbilisi, Georgia	1,241,700	58
257	Yiwu, China	1,234,015	26
258	Liaocheng, China	1,230,000	30
259	Shymkent, Kazakhstan	1,222,055	36
260	An Najaf, Iraq	1,221,248	30
261	Maoming, China	1,217,000	33
262	Suwon, South Korea	1,203,000	61
263	Hiroshima, Japan	1,200,754	44
264	Batam, Indonesia	1,196,396	28
265	Balikesir, Turkey	1,196,170	43
266	Ahvaz, Iran	1,184,788	26
267	Saitama, Japan	1,182,115	49
268	Srinagar, India	1,180,570	14
269	Chifeng, China	1,175,391	33
270	Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, India	1,175,116	17

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.