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	82
122	Tulsa, OK, United States	413,066	105
123	Veracruz, Mexico	405,952	51
124	Miami, FL, United States	404,048	174
125	Halifax, Canada	403,131	117
126	New Orleans, LA, United States	391,006	125
127	London, Canada	383,822	109
128	Celaya, Mexico	378,143	49
129	San Miguelito, Panama	375,409	42
130	Bakersfield, CA, United States	373,640	144
131	Tepic, Mexico	371,387	57
132	Cleveland, OH, United States	367,991	111
133	Cleveland, TN, United States	367,991	101
134	Cleveland, MS, United States	367,991	116
135	Arlington, VA, United States	365,438	164
136	Arlington, WA, United States	365,438	117
137	Arlington, KY, United States	365,438	123
138	Arlington, TX, United States	365,438	110
139	Wichita, KS, United States	357,698	100
140	Honolulu, HI, United States	350,964	180
141	Pétion-Ville, Haiti	342,400	100
142	San Jose, Costa Rica	342,188	89
143	Cuernavaca, Mexico	341,029	50
144	Villahermosa, Mexico	340,060	61
145	Islip, NY, United States	339,938	48
146	Markham, Canada	338,503	115
147	Henderson, NV, United States	337,305	138
148	Santa Ana, CA, United States	335,400	164
149	Tampa, FL, United States	332,888	143
150	Ciudad Victoria, Mexico	332,100	63

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.