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	Ancona, Italy	100,861	85
152	Viseu, Portugal	99,561	66
153	Arezzo, Italy	99,543	82
154	Udine, Italy	99,169	86
155	Santiago de Compostela, Spain	98,687	71
156	Lugo, Spain	98,214	76
157	Pisa, Italy	97,888	91
158	Cesena, Italy	96,758	83
159	Pesaro, Italy	96,609	83
160	Caceres, Spain	96,215	86
161	Maribor, Slovenia	96,000	76
162	Barletta, Italy	94,814	69
163	Lecce, Italy	94,773	78
164	La Spezia, Italy	91,391	89
165	Alessandria, Italy	90,987	86
166	Catanzaro, Italy	90,610	90
167	Pistoia, Italy	90,315	80
168	Cornella de Llobregat, Spain	90,303	82
169	El Ejido, Spain	89,975	74
170	Torrevieja, Spain	89,290	71
171	Ioannina, Greece	89,061	66
172	Lucca, Italy	89,046	94
173	Guadalajara, Spain	89,010	68
174	Pozuelo de Alarcon, Spain	88,784	107
175	Subotica, Serbia	88,752	52
176	Chiclana de la Frontera, Spain	88,709	77
177	Brindisi, Italy	88,302	82
178	Mestre, Italy	87,377	98
179	Glyfada, Greece	87,305	97
180	Toledo, Spain	86,070	83

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.