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	Price per month for a nomad	Living Index
31	Sharjah, United Arab Emirates	1,400,000	$1,850	89
32	Manisa, Turkey	1,396,945	$952	46
33	Kayseri, Turkey	1,389,680	$901	43
34	Doha, Qatar	1,312,947	$2,237	108
35	Samsun, Turkey	1,295,927	$936	45
36	Hamra, Lebanon	1,251,739	$1,086	52
37	Tbilisi, Georgia	1,241,700	$1,292	62
38	An Najaf, Iraq	1,221,248	$570	27
39	Balikesir, Turkey	1,196,170	$954	45
40	Van, Turkey	1,141,015	$966	47
41	Yerevan, Armenia	1,129,300	$1,667	79
42	Aydin, Turkey	1,119,084	$930	44
43	Kahramanmaras, Turkey	1,112,634	$710	34
44	Medina, Saudi Arabia	1,100,093	$1,354	64
45	Sakarya, Turkey	1,094,481	$946	45
46	Muscat, Oman	1,090,797	$1,561	75
47	Denizli, Turkey	1,051,056	$764	37
48	Tripoli, Lebanon	999,000	$1,098	53
49	Esenyurt, Turkey	978,007	$1,217	58
50	Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates	921,000	$2,594	125
51	Ad Dammam, Saudi Arabia	903,312	$1,205	58
52	Dammam, Saudi Arabia	903,312	$1,215	59
53	Eskisehir, Turkey	888,828	$937	45
54	Jerusalem, Israel	882,652	$2,951	143
55	Kirkuk, Iraq	850,787	$552	26
56	Sulaymaniyah, Iraq	823,199	$659	31
57	Trabzon, Turkey	816,684	$676	32
58	Malatya, Turkey	781,305	$687	33
59	Erzurum, Turkey	762,021	$1,014	47
60	Ordu, Turkey	750,588	$901	43

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update: November 10, 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.