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
91	Vologda, Russia	308,530	$891	43
92	Ostrava, Czech Republic	304,880	$1,527	73
93	Oryol, Russia	303,696	$725	34
94	Vladikavkaz, Russia	301,543	$1,091	54
95	Poltava, Ukraine	297,600	$784	38
96	Bialystok, Poland	297,554	$1,441	69
97	Kherson, Ukraine	294,941	$565	27
98	Chernihiv, Ukraine	293,969	$621	30
99	Tambov, Russia	293,661	$742	36
100	Iasi, Romania	290,422	$1,263	60
101	Nizhnevartovsk, Russia	287,095	$1,122	54
102	Katowice, Poland	286,960	$1,452	69
103	Constanta, Romania	283,872	$1,335	63
104	Murmansk, Russia	282,851	$1,062	54
105	Sterlitamak, Russia	277,410	$1,058	52
106	Kostroma, Russia	277,393	$1,332	62
107	Yoshkar-Ola, Russia	276,155	$997	47
108	Novorossiysk, Russia	275,795	$963	46
109	Lake Balaton, Hungary	275,000	$1,104	53
110	Cherkasy, Ukraine	274,343	$686	33
111	Craiova, Romania	269,506	$1,212	58
112	Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine	269,308	$722	35
113	Sumy, Ukraine	267,633	$954	45
114	Zhytomyr, Ukraine	267,610	$746	36
115	Chernivtsi, Ukraine	266,550	$730	35
116	Gdynia, Poland	257,000	$1,718	82
117	Brasov, Romania	253,200	$1,336	64
118	Taganrog, Russia	251,050	$1,022	49
119	Galati, Romania	249,432	$1,284	61
120	Mytishchi, Russia	245,643	$1,368	65

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update: November 3, 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.