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
151	Winterthur, Switzerland	108,044	205
152	Trier, Germany	107,233	115
153	Mulhouse, France	106,341	85
154	Delft, Netherlands	106,086	120
155	Moers, Germany	105,102	104
156	Nancy, France	104,260	86
157	Gütersloh, Germany	103,603	104
158	Venlo, Netherlands	103,328	120
159	Deventer, Netherlands	102,781	123
160	Leuven, Belgium	102,275	113
161	Hildesheim, Germany	101,744	110
162	Cottbus, Germany	101,036	81
163	Klagenfurt, Austria	100,316	117
164	Siegen, Germany	99,403	93
165	Tourcoing, France	99,011	91
166	Roubaix, France	98,892	85
167	Schwerin, Germany	98,596	78
168	Witten, Germany	97,986	107
169	Nanterre, France	97,351	91
170	Kaiserslautern, Germany	97,162	97
171	Iserlohn, Germany	94,536	97
172	Hilversum, Netherlands	93,345	154
173	Zwickau, Germany	93,128	73
174	Gera, Germany	93,125	68
175	Flensburg, Germany	93,112	91
176	Mons, Belgium	92,721	97
177	Leeuwarden, Netherlands	91,992	129
178	Amstelveen, Netherlands	91,675	155
179	Avignon, France	90,330	89
180	Poitiers, France	90,240	79

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.