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 Europe Northern Europe Western Europe Eastern Europe Southern Europe

Rank	City	Population	Living Index
31	Oslo, Norway	1,098,061	158
32	Cologne, Germany	1,095,520	108
33	Krasnoyarsk, Russia	1,092,851	51
34	Ufa, Russia	1,075,000	54
35	Voronezh, Russia	1,050,602	49
36	Birmingham, United Kingdom	1,036,878	119
37	Perm, Russia	1,026,908	42
38	Odesa, Ukraine	1,008,852	37
39	Volgograd, Russia	1,004,763	39
40	Stockholm, Sweden	984,748	126
41	Naples, Italy	972,212	87
42	Krasnodar, Russia	948,827	49
43	Mallorca, Spain	940,332	74
44	Turin, Italy	902,000	85
45	Amsterdam, Netherlands	881,933	161
46	Marseille, France	873,076	94
47	Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain	862,893	74
48	Tyumen, Russia	861,098	54
49	Saratov, Russia	818,383	51
50	Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom	809,000	105
51	Valencia, Spain	807,693	97
52	Krakow, Poland	806,201	88
53	Thessaloniki, Greece	790,824	77
54	Zagreb, Croatia	767,131	83
55	Leeds, United Kingdom	766,399	107
56	Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine	750,685	31
57	Chisinau, Moldova	750,000	61
58	Lviv, Ukraine	728,350	48
59	Lodz, Poland	711,332	72
60	Frankfurt, Germany	701,350	123

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.