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	$1,608	77
62	Zaragoza, Spain	682,513	$1,773	84
63	Helsinki, Finland	674,963	$2,241	107
64	Riga, Latvia	660,187	$1,615	78
65	Wroclaw, Poland	642,869	$1,731	83
66	Barnaul, Russia	631,124	$1,091	52
67	Leipzig, Germany	628,718	$1,930	93
68	Palermo, Italy	628,165	$1,545	74
69	Ulyanovsk, Russia	627,705	$932	45
70	Dusseldorf, Germany	618,128	$2,330	112
71	Irkutsk, Russia	617,515	$1,123	54
72	Khabarovsk, Russia	616,372	$1,455	70
73	Stuttgart, Germany	613,392	$2,272	109
74	Copenhagen, Denmark	613,288	$3,149	149
75	Gothenburg, Sweden	607,882	$2,061	99
76	Glasgow, United Kingdom	606,340	$2,471	119
77	Makhachkala, Russia	604,266	$1,096	53
78	Kryvyy Rih, Ukraine	603,904	$499	24
79	Dortmund, Germany	600,933	$2,086	99
80	Vladivostok, Russia	600,871	$1,434	69
81	Dublin, Ireland	588,233	$3,668	175
82	Genoa, Italy	586,655	$1,798	86
83	Malaga, Spain	586,384	$2,057	98
84	Vilnius, Lithuania	581,475	$1,731	83
85	Rotterdam, Netherlands	572,392	$3,134	151
86	Yaroslavl, Russia	570,824	$930	45
87	Essen, Germany	569,884	$2,008	96
88	The Hague, Netherlands	562,839	$2,775	133
89	Dresden, Germany	556,780	$1,958	94
90	Hanover, Germany	555,372	$2,045	97

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.