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
31	Lodz, Poland	711,332	$1,500	72
32	Tolyatti, Russia	685,619	$1,080	52
33	Wroclaw, Poland	642,869	$1,731	83
34	Barnaul, Russia	631,124	$1,091	52
35	Ulyanovsk, Russia	627,705	$932	45
36	Irkutsk, Russia	617,515	$1,123	54
37	Khabarovsk, Russia	616,372	$1,455	70
38	Makhachkala, Russia	604,266	$1,096	53
39	Kryvyy Rih, Ukraine	603,904	$499	24
40	Vladivostok, Russia	600,871	$1,434	69
41	Yaroslavl, Russia	570,824	$930	45
42	Kemerovo, Russia	552,546	$1,007	48
43	Tomsk, Russia	551,505	$1,088	52
44	Stavropol, Russia	550,147	$905	43
45	Novokuznetsk, Russia	544,583	$1,406	67
46	Orenburg, Russia	536,862	$1,024	49
47	Gomel, Belarus	535,693	$704	34
48	Naberezhnye Chelny, Russia	532,074	$1,274	61
49	Poznan, Poland	530,464	$1,574	75
50	Ryazan, Russia	523,203	$981	47
51	Balashikha, Russia	507,307	$1,362	65
52	Cheboksary, Russia	496,350	$966	46
53	Kaliningrad, Russia	493,256	$1,435	69
54	Lipetsk, Russia	490,428	$1,097	52
55	Mykolaiv, Ukraine	480,080	$730	35
56	Tula, Russia	475,161	$941	45
57	Gdansk, Poland	470,633	$1,726	83
58	Kursk, Russia	450,977	$947	45
59	Ulan Ude, Russia	436,138	$1,103	53
60	Bratislava, Slovakia	432,801	$1,889	91

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.