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
1	Madrid, Spain	3,332,035	108
2	Athens, Greece	3,090,508	84
3	Rome, Italy	2,848,084	94
4	Barcelona, Spain	1,660,122	112
5	Milan, Italy	1,394,798	123
6	Belgrade, Serbia	1,197,714	76
7	Naples, Italy	972,212	87
8	Mallorca, Spain	940,332	74
9	Turin, Italy	902,000	85
10	Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain	862,893	74
11	Valencia, Spain	807,693	97
12	Thessaloniki, Greece	790,824	77
13	Zagreb, Croatia	767,131	83
14	Seville, Spain	684,025	73
15	Zaragoza, Spain	682,513	81
16	Palermo, Italy	628,165	74
17	Genoa, Italy	586,655	86
18	Malaga, Spain	586,384	94
19	Lisbon, Portugal	545,923	108
20	Murcia, Spain	469,177	72
21	Palma de Mallorca, Spain	423,350	107
22	Skopje, North Macedonia	422,540	52
23	Tirana, Albania	418,495	65
24	Bologna, Italy	386,663	104
25	Sintra, Portugal	385,654	76
26	Florence, Italy	382,808	111
27	Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain	378,027	81
28	Alicante, Spain	349,282	85
29	Bilbao, Spain	346,096	99
30	Bari, Italy	326,344	84

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

Last update: August 25, 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.