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
121	Tallinn, Estonia	443,623	$1,887	90
122	Zurich, Switzerland	443,037	$4,241	205
123	Ulan Ude, Russia	436,138	$1,103	53
124	Liverpool, United Kingdom	434,900	$2,236	107
125	Bratislava, Slovakia	432,801	$1,889	91
126	Tver, Russia	425,000	$995	48
127	Palma de Mallorca, Spain	423,350	$2,370	114
128	Skopje, North Macedonia	422,540	$1,083	52
129	Tirana, Albania	418,495	$1,399	67
130	Magnitogorsk, Russia	413,251	$1,147	55
131	Surgut, Russia	406,938	$1,121	54
132	Ivanovo, Russia	401,505	$776	37
133	Belgorod, Russia	391,702	$1,127	54
134	Sochi, Russia	389,946	$1,265	60
135	Szczecin, Poland	387,700	$1,427	68
136	Bologna, Italy	386,663	$2,166	104
137	Sintra, Portugal	385,654	$1,601	77
138	Florence, Italy	382,808	$2,472	118
139	Mogilev, Belarus	381,353	$766	37
140	Brno, Czech Republic	380,127	$1,904	91
141	Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain	378,027	$1,749	84
142	Vinnytsia, Ukraine	373,302	$718	35
143	Bochum, Germany	371,075	$1,830	88
144	Hrodna, Belarus	370,919	$611	29
145	Vitebsk, Belarus	370,298	$768	37
146	Plovdiv, Bulgaria	368,983	$1,240	60
147	Utrecht, Netherlands	367,947	$2,950	142
148	Yakutsk, Russia	361,154	$1,265	61
149	Wuppertal, Germany	361,077	$1,856	89
150	Bydgoszcz, Poland	359,428	$1,507	72

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.