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
61	Tver, Russia	425,000	$995	48
62	Magnitogorsk, Russia	413,251	$1,147	55
63	Surgut, Russia	406,938	$1,121	54
64	Ivanovo, Russia	401,505	$776	37
65	Belgorod, Russia	391,702	$1,127	54
66	Sochi, Russia	389,946	$1,265	60
67	Szczecin, Poland	387,700	$1,427	68
68	Mogilev, Belarus	381,353	$766	37
69	Brno, Czech Republic	380,127	$1,904	91
70	Vinnytsia, Ukraine	373,302	$718	35
71	Hrodna, Belarus	370,919	$611	29
72	Vitebsk, Belarus	370,298	$768	37
73	Plovdiv, Bulgaria	368,983	$1,240	60
74	Yakutsk, Russia	361,154	$1,265	61
75	Bydgoszcz, Poland	359,428	$1,507	72
76	Vladimir, Russia	352,347	$1,019	49
77	Varna, Bulgaria	348,058	$1,402	67
78	Arkhangelsk, Russia	344,927	$1,152	55
79	Nizhny Tagil, Russia	344,656	$1,144	56
80	Brest, Belarus	340,521	$847	41
81	Lublin, Poland	337,788	$1,514	73
82	Chita, Russia	333,679	$1,138	53
83	Kaluga, Russia	331,842	$995	48
84	Smolensk, Russia	325,495	$1,103	53
85	Cluj-Napoca, Romania	324,576	$1,418	69
86	Volzhsky, Russia	321,427	$929	45
87	Saransk, Russia	320,612	$1,134	54
88	Timisoara, Romania	319,279	$1,211	58
89	Cherepovets, Russia	318,107	$630	30
90	Kurgan, Russia	309,285	$599	29

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.