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 North America Northern America Central America Caribbean

Rank	City	Population	Living Index
331	Playa del Carmen, Mexico	149,923	64
332	Naperville, IL, United States	149,540	148
333	Rockford, MI, United States	148,655	132
334	Rockford, IL, United States	148,655	106
335	Coquitlam, Canada	148,625	148
336	Syracuse, NY, United States	148,620	149
337	Fort Collins, CO, United States	148,612	123
338	Paterson, NJ, United States	147,000	135
339	Colima, Mexico	146,965	45
340	Savannah, GA, United States	146,444	135
341	Saguenay, Canada	144,723	66
342	Kelowna, Canada	144,576	122
343	Jinotega, Nicaragua	144,503	26
344	Torrance, CA, United States	142,350	180
345	McAllen, TX, United States	142,210	88
346	Barrie, Canada	141,434	131
347	Abbotsford, Canada	141,397	114
348	Lakewood, WA, United States	140,024	125
349	Willemstad, Curacao	140,000	93
350	Columbia, SC, United States	139,698	109
351	Columbia, MO, United States	139,698	93
352	Columbia, MD, United States	139,698	162
353	Columbia, KY, United States	139,698	129
354	Thornton, CO, United States	139,478	133
355	Trois-Rivieres, QC, Canada	139,163	72
356	Santa Tecla, El Salvador	138,695	68
357	Waco, TX, United States	138,486	137
358	Cambridge, Canada	138,479	125
359	Zacatecas, Mexico	138,444	48
360	Carolina, Puerto Rico	138,304	62

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.