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
61	Oberhausen, Germany	209,292	96
62	Rostock, Germany	207,830	81
63	Linz, Austria	207,812	100
64	Kassel, Germany	204,021	91
65	Charleroi, Belgium	202,730	97
66	Groningen, Netherlands	201,242	106
67	Liege, Belgium	197,013	100
68	Geneva, Switzerland	191,557	191
69	Cherbourg, France	188,335	87
70	Brussels, Belgium	188,137	121
71	Hagen, Germany	186,000	97
72	Toulon, France	180,452	84
73	Hamm, Germany	180,000	70
74	Reims, France	179,380	88
75	Potsdam, Germany	178,089	108
76	Saarbrucken, Germany	177,201	80
77	Basel, Switzerland	174,491	165
78	Saint-Etienne, France	172,718	67
79	Darmstadt, Germany	169,255	107
80	Osnabruck, Germany	169,108	90
81	Apeldoorn, Netherlands	167,191	122
82	Muelheim an der Ruhr, Germany	167,108	118
83	Le Havre, France	166,058	69
84	Arnhem, Netherlands	165,770	123
85	Haarlem, Netherlands	165,396	151
86	Solingen, Germany	164,205	100
87	Oldenburg, Germany	163,830	95
88	Ludwigshafen, Germany	163,340	87
89	Enschede, Netherlands	161,235	113
90	Leverkusen, Germany	160,819	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.