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
121	Zoetermeer, Netherlands	126,998	110
122	Wolfsburg, Germany	122,457	82
123	Luxembourg, Luxembourg	122,273	167
124	Ede, Netherlands	122,012	117
125	Ulm, Germany	121,648	102
126	Dordrecht, Netherlands	121,434	126
127	Metz, France	120,874	89
128	Maastricht, Netherlands	120,105	122
129	Boulogne-Billancourt, France	119,808	92
130	Perpignan, France	119,656	75
131	Besancon, France	119,198	80
132	Heilbronn, Germany	118,122	99
133	Pforzheim, Germany	117,754	85
134	Brugge, Belgium	117,639	113
135	Erlangen, Germany	117,466	93
136	Bremerhaven, Germany	117,281	94
137	Remscheid, Germany	116,827	94
138	Orleans, France	116,617	75
139	Bottrop, Germany	116,055	89
140	Recklinghausen, Germany	115,320	94
141	Rouen, France	114,083	82
142	Namur, Belgium	113,174	94
143	Reutlingen, Germany	112,099	110
144	Alkmaar, Netherlands	111,834	114
145	Jena, Germany	111,343	84
146	Koblenz, Germany	110,643	86
147	Bergisch Gladbach, Germany	109,425	96
148	's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands	108,780	120
149	Emmen, Netherlands	108,765	90
150	Caen, France	108,200	79

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.