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
241	Faro, Portugal	67,650	88
242	Zadar, Croatia	67,309	83
243	Ponta Delgada, Portugal	67,233	81
244	Viterbo, Italy	67,173	83
245	Zrenjanin, Serbia	67,129	47
246	Castellammare di Stabia, Italy	66,929	84
247	Vranje, Serbia	66,843	67
248	Collado Villalba, Spain	65,657	88
249	Lezhe, Albania	65,633	52
250	Stip, North Macedonia	65,000	39
251	Arrecife, Spain	64,826	80
252	Povoa de Varzim, Portugal	64,257	81
253	Palaio Faliro, Athens, Greece	64,021	88
254	Ferrol, Spain	63,890	82
255	La Linea de la Concepcion, Spain	63,773	76
256	Cosenza, Italy	63,693	71
257	Uzice, Serbia	63,571	51
258	Prilep, North Macedonia	63,308	38
259	Carrara, Italy	63,133	83
260	Pomezia, Italy	62,966	84
261	Viareggio, Italy	62,467	86
262	Trikala, Greece	61,653	70
263	Savona, Italy	61,345	99
264	Velika Gorica, Croatia	61,075	74
265	Aranjuez, Spain	60,668	80
266	Mostar, Bosnia And Herzegovina	60,195	51
267	Benevento, Italy	60,091	76
268	Legnano, Italy	60,000	94
269	Portimao, Portugal	59,867	75
270	Kruje, Albania	59,814	55

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.