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.
| Rank | City | Population | Living Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8,908,083 | | |
| 2 | 1,098,061 | | |
| 3 | 1,036,878 | | |
| 4 | 984,748 | | |
| 5 | 809,000 | | |
| 6 | 766,399 | | |
| 7 | 674,963 | | |
| 8 | 660,187 | | |
| 9 | 613,288 | | |
| 10 | 607,882 | | |
| 11 | 606,340 | | |
| 12 | 588,233 | | |
| 13 | 581,475 | | |
| 14 | 547,000 | | |
| 15 | 503,100 | | |
| 16 | 488,050 | | |
| 17 | 463,400 | | |
| 18 | 443,623 | | |
| 19 | 434,900 | | |
| 20 | 348,000 | | |
| 21 | 346,100 | | |
| 22 | 337,428 | | |
| 23 | 322,300 | | |
| 24 | 316,588 | | |
| 25 | 315,993 | | |
| 26 | 314,152 | | |
| 27 | 305,700 | | |
| 28 | 305,700 | | |
| 29 | 293,717 | | |
| 30 | 292,482 | |
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update: February 24, 2026