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
31	Lviv, Ukraine	728,350	45
32	Lodz, Poland	711,332	75
33	Tolyatti, Russia	685,619	41
34	Izhevsk, Russia	646,468	50
35	Wroclaw, Poland	642,869	87
36	Barnaul, Russia	631,124	49
37	Ulyanovsk, Russia	627,705	42
38	Irkutsk, Russia	617,515	52
39	Khabarovsk, Russia	616,372	61
40	Makhachkala, Russia	604,266	49
41	Vladivostok, Russia	600,871	68
42	Yaroslavl, Russia	570,824	43
43	Kemerovo, Russia	552,546	43
44	Tomsk, Russia	551,505	51
45	Stavropol, Russia	550,147	45
46	Novokuznetsk, Russia	544,583	49
47	Orenburg, Russia	536,862	45
48	Gomel, Belarus	535,693	29
49	Naberezhnye Chelny, Russia	532,074	48
50	Poznan, Poland	530,464	81
51	Astrakhan, Russia	524,371	52
52	Ryazan, Russia	523,203	54
53	Kirov, Russia	521,091	40
54	Penza, Russia	509,513	43
55	Balashikha, Russia	507,307	54
56	Cheboksary, Russia	496,350	47
57	Kaliningrad, Russia	493,256	55
58	Lipetsk, Russia	490,428	51
59	Mykolaiv, Ukraine	480,080	36
60	Tula, Russia	475,161	55

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.