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	Radom, Poland	208,091	61
152	Debrecen, Hungary	201,704	61
153	Biysk, Russia	198,433	49
154	Rzeszow, Poland	197,536	74
155	Oradea, Romania	196,367	54
156	Rybinsk, Russia	193,341	57
157	Burgas, Bulgaria	189,741	57
158	Abakan, Russia	187,239	48
159	Balakovo, Russia	186,012	47
160	Gliwice, Poland	185,450	70
161	Noril'sk, Russia	182,701	48
162	Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia	180,467	57
163	Braila, Romania	180,302	55
164	Baranavichy, Belarus	179,166	27
165	Krasnogorsk, Russia	175,812	56
166	Olsztyn, Poland	174,675	74
167	Zabrze, Poland	169,831	77
168	Bielsko-biala, Poland	169,756	72
169	Plzen, Czech Republic	168,951	81
170	Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia	163,152	66
171	Bytom, Poland	162,250	66
172	Zlatoust, Russia	162,148	47
173	Ruse, Bulgaria	159,798	47
174	Arad, Romania	159,074	44
175	Almetyevsk, Russia	158,019	42
176	Szeged, Hungary	157,930	53
177	Tiraspol, Moldova	157,917	35
178	Severodvinsk, Russia	157,213	48
179	Pitesti, Romania	155,383	53
180	Stara Zagora, Bulgaria	149,266	43

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.