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	Berlin, Germany	3,769,962	119
2	Paris, France	2,133,111	125
3	Vienna, Austria	1,920,949	112
4	Hamburg, Germany	1,812,709	113
5	Munich, Germany	1,484,226	132
6	Cologne, Germany	1,095,520	108
7	Amsterdam, Netherlands	881,933	161
8	Marseille, France	873,076	94
9	Frankfurt, Germany	701,350	123
10	Leipzig, Germany	628,718	91
11	Dusseldorf, Germany	618,128	111
12	Stuttgart, Germany	613,392	105
13	Dortmund, Germany	600,933	97
14	Rotterdam, Netherlands	572,392	144
15	Essen, Germany	569,884	95
16	The Hague, Netherlands	562,839	131
17	Dresden, Germany	556,780	90
18	Hanover, Germany	555,372	99
19	Bremen, Germany	551,767	96
20	Nuremberg, Germany	526,091	97
21	Antwerp, Belgium	525,935	103
22	Lyon, France	522,250	98
23	Toulouse, France	504,078	95
24	Duisburg, Germany	486,855	97
25	Zurich, Switzerland	443,037	214
26	Bochum, Germany	371,075	89
27	Utrecht, Netherlands	367,947	139
28	Wuppertal, Germany	361,077	96
29	Nice, France	348,085	108
30	Bonn, Germany	335,913	110

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.