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	Jining, China	8,357,897	31
32	Fuzhou, China	8,291,268	35
33	Dongguan, China	8,254,100	38
34	Quanzhou, China	8,128,530	37
35	Nantong, China	7,726,635	34
36	Tangshan, China	7,717,983	33
37	Ningbo, China	7,605,689	32
38	Wuxi, China	7,462,135	35
39	Dalian, China	7,450,785	42
40	Yancheng, China	7,260,240	32
41	Zunyi, China	6,606,675	33
42	Huanggang, China	6,291,000	33
43	Jieyang, China	5,877,025	31
44	Changde, China	5,717,200	30
45	Xinxiang, China	5,707,801	29
46	Nanchong, China	5,607,565	31
47	Xiangyang, China	5,500,307	33
48	Shantou, China	5,389,328	31
49	Qiqihar, China	5,367,003	33
50	Jinhua, China	5,361,572	29
51	Yuncheng, China	5,300,000	32
52	Changsha, China	5,289,000	36
53	Changzhou, China	5,278,121	34
54	Nanchang, China	5,042,566	30
55	Pingdingshan, China	5,000,000	32
56	Guilin, China	4,931,137	30
57	Shaoxing, China	4,912,239	34
58	Mianyang, Sichuan, China	4,868,243	29
59	Zhangzhou, China	4,809,983	33
60	Huai'an, China	4,799,889	33

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.