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
121	Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico	414,470	56
122	Tulsa, OK, United States	413,066	110
123	Veracruz, Mexico	405,952	51
124	Miami, FL, United States	404,048	179
125	Halifax, Canada	403,131	125
126	New Orleans, LA, United States	391,006	133
127	London, Canada	383,822	122
128	Celaya, Mexico	378,143	57
129	San Miguelito, Panama	375,409	44
130	Bakersfield, CA, United States	373,640	152
131	Tepic, Mexico	371,387	52
132	Cleveland, OH, United States	367,991	123
133	Cleveland, TN, United States	367,991	115
134	Cleveland, MS, United States	367,991	120
135	Arlington, WA, United States	365,438	120
136	Arlington, TX, United States	365,438	119
137	Arlington, KY, United States	365,438	134
138	Arlington, VA, United States	365,438	178
139	Wichita, KS, United States	357,698	110
140	Honolulu, HI, United States	350,964	183
141	Pétion-Ville, Haiti	342,400	113
142	San Jose, Costa Rica	342,188	79
143	Cuernavaca, Mexico	341,029	50
144	Villahermosa, Mexico	340,060	56
145	Islip, NY, United States	339,938	136
146	Markham, Canada	338,503	139
147	Henderson, NV, United States	337,305	150
148	Santa Ana, CA, United States	335,400	159
149	Tampa, FL, United States	332,888	150
150	Ciudad Victoria, Mexico	332,100	61

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.