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	Price per month for a nomad	Living Index
61	Seville, Spain	684,025	$1,588	76
62	Zaragoza, Spain	682,513	$1,744	84
63	Helsinki, Finland	674,963	$2,213	105
64	Riga, Latvia	660,187	$1,611	77
65	Wroclaw, Poland	642,869	$1,705	82
66	Barnaul, Russia	631,124	$1,070	51
67	Leipzig, Germany	628,718	$1,947	92
68	Palermo, Italy	628,165	$1,537	74
69	Ulyanovsk, Russia	627,705	$942	45
70	Dusseldorf, Germany	618,128	$2,333	111
71	Irkutsk, Russia	617,515	$1,157	55
72	Khabarovsk, Russia	616,372	$1,477	71
73	Stuttgart, Germany	613,392	$2,263	108
74	Copenhagen, Denmark	613,288	$3,080	148
75	Gothenburg, Sweden	607,882	$2,071	98
76	Glasgow, United Kingdom	606,340	$2,463	118
77	Makhachkala, Russia	604,266	$1,119	54
78	Kryvyy Rih, Ukraine	603,904	$494	24
79	Dortmund, Germany	600,933	$2,066	98
80	Vladivostok, Russia	600,871	$1,427	69
81	Dublin, Ireland	588,233	$3,690	175
82	Genoa, Italy	586,655	$1,791	85
83	Malaga, Spain	586,384	$2,079	99
84	Vilnius, Lithuania	581,475	$1,705	82
85	Rotterdam, Netherlands	572,392	$3,138	150
86	Yaroslavl, Russia	570,824	$930	45
87	Essen, Germany	569,884	$2,002	95
88	The Hague, Netherlands	562,839	$2,748	132
89	Dresden, Germany	556,780	$1,946	93
90	Hanover, Germany	555,372	$2,014	96

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

Last update: November 3, 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.