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
31	Cordoba, Spain	323,763	73
32	Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal	303,854	84
33	Patras, Greece	300,000	70
34	Catania, Italy	298,037	72
35	Valladolid, Spain	297,459	80
36	Vigo, Spain	293,652	78
37	Ljubljana, Slovenia	285,604	101
38	L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain	274,455	98
39	Sarajevo, Bosnia And Herzegovina	271,194	59
40	Gijon, Spain	268,313	80
41	Novi Sad, Serbia	260,438	70
42	Verona, Italy	259,966	91
43	Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain	255,886	97
44	Corunna, Spain	247,376	80
45	Elche, Spain	238,293	74
46	Azores, Portugal	236,657	81
47	Porto, Portugal	231,828	93
48	Granada, Spain	230,595	83
49	Badalona, Spain	225,957	125
50	Terrassa, Spain	225,277	87
51	Sabadell, Spain	218,300	96
52	Cartagena, Spain	218,050	71
53	Messina, Italy	217,734	73
54	Oviedo, Spain	217,584	79
55	Cascais, Portugal	214,158	111
56	Jerez de la Frontera, Spain	213,231	77
57	Padova, Italy	210,401	103
58	Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain	209,395	93
59	Pamplona, Spain	205,762	94
60	Loures, Portugal	201,632	80

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.