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
151	Utrecht, Netherlands	367,947	150
152	Yakutsk, Russia	361,154	62
153	Wuppertal, Germany	361,077	89
154	Bydgoszcz, Poland	359,428	74
155	Vladimir, Russia	352,347	45
156	Alicante, Spain	349,282	85
157	Nice, France	348,085	113
158	Varna, Bulgaria	348,058	61
159	Belfast, United Kingdom	348,000	109
160	Cardiff, United Kingdom	346,100	119
161	Bilbao, Spain	346,096	99
162	Arkhangelsk, Russia	344,927	55
163	Nizhny Tagil, Russia	344,656	53
164	Brest, Belarus	340,521	35
165	Lublin, Poland	337,788	79
166	Coventry, United Kingdom	337,428	116
167	Bonn, Germany	335,913	112
168	Chita, Russia	333,679	59
169	Kaluga, Russia	331,842	39
170	Graz, Austria	331,359	107
171	Bielefeld, Germany	328,012	98
172	Bari, Italy	326,344	89
173	Smolensk, Russia	325,495	43
174	Grozny, Russia	324,602	48
175	Cluj-Napoca, Romania	324,576	70
176	Cordoba, Spain	323,763	73
177	Nantes, France	323,204	98
178	Wakefield, United Kingdom	322,300	98
179	Volzhsky, Russia	321,427	34
180	Saransk, Russia	320,612	44

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.