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	113
2	Athens, Greece	3,090,508	87
3	Rome, Italy	2,848,084	101
4	Barcelona, Spain	1,660,122	118
5	Milan, Italy	1,394,798	125
6	Belgrade, Serbia	1,197,714	76
7	Naples, Italy	972,212	94
8	Mallorca, Spain	940,332	81
9	Turin, Italy	902,000	89
10	Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain	862,893	81
11	Valencia, Spain	807,693	94
12	Thessaloniki, Greece	790,824	78
13	Zagreb, Croatia	767,131	86
14	Seville, Spain	684,025	82
15	Zaragoza, Spain	682,513	88
16	Palermo, Italy	628,165	79
17	Genoa, Italy	586,655	94
18	Malaga, Spain	586,384	90
19	Lisbon, Portugal	545,923	113
20	Murcia, Spain	469,177	72
21	Palma de Mallorca, Spain	423,350	112
22	Skopje, North Macedonia	422,540	55
23	Tirana, Albania	418,495	71
24	Bologna, Italy	386,663	110
25	Sintra, Portugal	385,654	83
26	Florence, Italy	382,808	108
27	Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain	378,027	87
28	Alicante, Spain	349,282	85
29	Bilbao, Spain	346,096	99
30	Bari, Italy	326,344	89

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.