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
61	Afyonkarahisar, Turkey	747,555	$1,025	49
62	An Nasiriyah, Iraq	745,000	$708	34
63	Al Hufuf, Saudi Arabia	660,788	$1,159	55
64	Homs, Syria	652,609	$525	25
65	Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq	650,927	$557	27
66	Kuwait City, Kuwait	637,411	$1,480	71
67	Adiyaman, Turkey	632,459	$890	42
68	Al Ain, United Arab Emirates	631,005	$1,830	87
69	Sivas, Turkey	621,224	$958	46
70	Taif, Saudi Arabia	579,970	$1,284	61
71	Elazig, Turkey	578,789	$998	48
72	Kutahya, Turkey	573,642	$832	40
73	Karbala, Iraq	572,300	$660	32
74	Corum, Turkey	527,863	$1,043	48
75	Maltepe, Turkey	523,137	$1,025	49
76	Tabuk, Saudi Arabia	512,629	$1,182	56
77	Al-'amarah, Iraq	511,542	$646	31
78	Aden, Yemen	508,489	$1,394	67
79	Batman, Turkey	477,456	$976	47
80	Kadikoy, Turkey	467,919	$1,739	84
81	Buraydah, Saudi Arabia	467,410	$1,242	59
82	Ta'izz, Yemen	458,933	$667	32
83	Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel	438,818	$3,543	171
84	Khamis Mushayt, Saudi Arabia	430,828	$1,159	57
85	Isparta, Turkey	427,324	$766	37
86	AL Kharj, Saudi Arabia	425,300	$963	46
87	Aksaray, Turkey	423,011	$906	44
88	Al Kut, Iraq	422,793	$665	31
89	Az-Zarqa, Jordan	395,227	$716	34
90	Al-Jahra, Kuwait	393,432	$1,301	63

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.