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
61	Tolyatti, Russia	685,619	41
62	Seville, Spain	684,025	82
63	Zaragoza, Spain	682,513	88
64	Helsinki, Finland	674,963	109
65	Riga, Latvia	660,187	80
66	Izhevsk, Russia	646,468	50
67	Wroclaw, Poland	642,869	87
68	Barnaul, Russia	631,124	49
69	Leipzig, Germany	628,718	99
70	Palermo, Italy	628,165	79
71	Ulyanovsk, Russia	627,705	42
72	Dusseldorf, Germany	618,128	123
73	Irkutsk, Russia	617,515	52
74	Khabarovsk, Russia	616,372	61
75	Stuttgart, Germany	613,392	126
76	Copenhagen, Denmark	613,288	153
77	Gothenburg, Sweden	607,882	105
78	Glasgow, United Kingdom	606,340	123
79	Makhachkala, Russia	604,266	49
80	Dortmund, Germany	600,933	107
81	Vladivostok, Russia	600,871	68
82	Dublin, Ireland	588,233	173
83	Genoa, Italy	586,655	94
84	Malaga, Spain	586,384	90
85	Vilnius, Lithuania	581,475	84
86	Rotterdam, Netherlands	572,392	147
87	Yaroslavl, Russia	570,824	43
88	Essen, Germany	569,884	104
89	The Hague, Netherlands	562,839	143
90	Dresden, Germany	556,780	98

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.