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
31	Managua, Nicaragua	1,039,290	45
32	San Jose, CA, United States	1,035,317	200
33	Edmonton, Canada	1,010,899	102
34	Santo Domingo Este, Dominican Republic	1,000,230	31
35	Ottawa, Canada	1,000,000	114
36	Fort Worth, TX, United States	996,756	129
37	Merida, Mexico	975,000	64
38	Austin, TX, United States	974,447	123
39	Austin, MN, United States	974,447	110
40	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic	965,040	52
41	Jacksonville, NC, United States	949,611	108
42	Jacksonville, FL, United States	949,611	112
43	Chihuahua, Mexico	925,762	61
44	Columbus, OH, United States	905,748	115
45	Columbus, IN, United States	905,748	95
46	Columbus, GA, United States	905,748	107
47	Cancun, Mexico	888,797	68
48	Indianapolis, IN, United States	882,039	126
49	Frisco, TX, United States	873,965	127
50	San Francisco, CA, United States	873,965	203
51	Saltillo, Mexico	864,431	65
52	Aguascalientes, Mexico	863,893	53
53	Hermosillo, Mexico	855,563	58
54	Mexicali, Mexico	854,186	46
55	San Luis Potosi, Mexico	845,941	64
56	Culiacan, Mexico	808,416	50
57	Queretaro, Mexico	804,663	70
58	Hempstead, NY, United States	793,409	67
59	Naucalpan de Juárez, Mexico	792,211	61
60	Charlotte, MI, United States	751,087	105

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.