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
391	Murfreesboro, TN, United States	126,118	107
392	Topeka, KS, United States	124,331	88
393	Thousand Oaks, CA, United States	124,207	180
394	New Haven, CT, United States	124,001	113
395	Ann Arbor, MI, United States	123,851	128
396	Kingston, Canada	123,363	105
397	Victorville, CA, United States	122,225	139
398	Vallejo, CA, United States	121,692	130
399	Waterloo, Canada	121,436	104
400	Berkeley, CA, United States	121,363	177
401	Lafayette, IN, United States	121,324	109
402	Simi Valley, CA, United States	121,288	155
403	College Station, TX, United States	120,511	96
404	Allentown, PA, United States	120,443	123
405	Palm Bay, FL, United States	119,760	107
406	Ajax, ON, Canada	119,677	115
407	Round Rock, TX, United States	119,468	107
408	Saanich, Canada	117,735	119
409	West Palm Beach, FL, United States	117,415	144
410	Independence, KS, United States	117,213	90
411	Independence, MO, United States	117,213	97
412	Fairfield, CA, United States	117,133	180
413	Fairfield, CT, United States	117,133	121
414	Billings, MT, United States	117,116	104
415	Heredia, Costa Rica	117,000	83
416	West Jordan, UT, United States	116,961	128
417	Gainesville, GA, United States	116,616	114
418	Springfield, MO, United States	116,482	101
419	Springfield, VA, United States	116,482	126
420	Springfield, OR, United States	116,482	101

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.