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
1	Dhaka, Bangladesh	21,741,000	21
2	Delhi, India	16,787,941	27
3	Karachi, Pakistan	14,910,352	24
4	Mumbai (Bombay), India	12,442,373	38
5	Lahore, Pakistan	11,126,285	24
6	Tehran, Iran	8,000,000	35
7	Surat, India	6,936,534	45
8	Hyderabad, India	6,809,970	26
9	Ahmedabad, India	6,352,254	26
10	Allahabad, India	5,959,798	17
11	Chennai (Madras), India	4,681,087	24
12	Lucknow, India	4,588,455	20
13	Kolkata (Calcutta), India	4,486,679	22
14	Kabul, Afghanistan	3,289,000	21
15	Indore, India	3,272,335	21
16	Faisalabad, Pakistan	3,203,846	17
17	Pune, India	3,115,431	29
18	Varanasi, India	3,100,000	15
19	Jaipur, India	3,073,400	22
20	Mashhad, Iran	3,001,184	24
21	Kanpur, India	2,767,031	18
22	Chittagong, Bangladesh	2,592,439	18
23	Visakhapatnam, India	2,526,000	22
24	Nagpur, India	2,405,700	27
25	Jodhpur, India	2,330,000	19
26	Ludhiana, India	2,232,000	26
27	Rawalpindi, Pakistan	2,098,231	22
28	Gujranwala, Pakistan	2,027,001	18
29	Peshawar, Pakistan	1,970,042	19
30	Isfahan, Iran	1,961,260	24

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.