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	Graz, Austria	331,359	107
32	Bielefeld, Germany	328,012	98
33	Nantes, France	323,204	98
34	Munster, Germany	314,332	117
35	Mannheim, Germany	310,000	105
36	Montpellier, France	302,454	100
37	Wiesbaden, Germany	299,946	119
38	Strasbourg, France	291,313	103
39	Augsburg, Germany	286,374	118
40	Karlsruhe, Germany	283,959	110
41	Gelsenkirchen, Germany	270,107	96
42	Bordeaux, France	261,804	103
43	Moenchengladbach, Germany	255,430	99
44	Braunschweig, Germany	253,167	89
45	Kiel, Germany	246,306	100
46	Eindhoven, Netherlands	243,730	131
47	Chemnitz, Germany	243,089	84
48	Aachen, Germany	241,683	99
49	Gent, Belgium	237,000	114
50	Lille, France	236,710	97
51	Halle, Germany	231,565	78
52	Magdeburg, Germany	231,021	94
53	Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany	230,219	112
54	Tilburg, Netherlands	227,707	115
55	Rennes, France	225,081	88
56	Almere, Netherlands	222,825	130
57	Krefeld, Germany	222,058	102
58	Erfurt, Germany	215,000	103
59	Lübeck, Germany	212,958	112
60	Mainz, Germany	209,779	109

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.