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
91	Hanover, Germany	555,372	109
92	Kemerovo, Russia	552,546	43
93	Bremen, Germany	551,767	100
94	Tomsk, Russia	551,505	51
95	Stavropol, Russia	550,147	45
96	Sheffield, United Kingdom	547,000	110
97	Lisbon, Portugal	545,923	113
98	Novokuznetsk, Russia	544,583	49
99	Orenburg, Russia	536,862	45
100	Gomel, Belarus	535,693	29
101	Naberezhnye Chelny, Russia	532,074	48
102	Poznan, Poland	530,464	81
103	Nuremberg, Germany	526,091	104
104	Antwerp, Belgium	525,935	111
105	Astrakhan, Russia	524,371	52
106	Ryazan, Russia	523,203	54
107	Lyon, France	522,250	108
108	Kirov, Russia	521,091	40
109	Penza, Russia	509,513	43
110	Balashikha, Russia	507,307	54
111	Toulouse, France	504,078	100
112	Manchester, United Kingdom	503,100	133
113	Cheboksary, Russia	496,350	47
114	Kaliningrad, Russia	493,256	55
115	Lipetsk, Russia	490,428	51
116	Edinburgh, United Kingdom	488,050	136
117	Duisburg, Germany	486,855	103
118	Mykolaiv, Ukraine	480,080	36
119	Tula, Russia	475,161	55
120	Gdansk, Poland	470,633	87

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.