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
121	Murcia, Spain	469,177	72
122	Bristol, United Kingdom	463,400	135
123	Kursk, Russia	450,977	41
124	Tallinn, Estonia	443,623	89
125	Zurich, Switzerland	443,037	214
126	Ulan Ude, Russia	436,138	48
127	Liverpool, United Kingdom	434,900	103
128	Bratislava, Slovakia	432,801	91
129	Tver, Russia	425,000	42
130	Palma de Mallorca, Spain	423,350	107
131	Skopje, North Macedonia	422,540	52
132	Tirana, Albania	418,495	65
133	Magnitogorsk, Russia	413,251	37
134	Surgut, Russia	406,938	45
135	Ivanovo, Russia	401,505	38
136	Bryansk, Russia	399,579	41
137	Belgorod, Russia	391,702	48
138	Sochi, Russia	389,946	54
139	Szczecin, Poland	387,700	65
140	Bologna, Italy	386,663	104
141	Sintra, Portugal	385,654	76
142	Florence, Italy	382,808	111
143	Mogilev, Belarus	381,353	35
144	Brno, Czech Republic	380,127	90
145	Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain	378,027	81
146	Vinnytsia, Ukraine	373,302	31
147	Bochum, Germany	371,075	89
148	Hrodna, Belarus	370,919	28
149	Vitebsk, Belarus	370,298	35
150	Plovdiv, Bulgaria	368,983	57

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.