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
91	Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica	135,000	59
92	San Pedro Garza Garcia, Mexico	132,169	118
93	Granada, Nicaragua	128,937	41
94	Heredia, Costa Rica	117,000	74
95	Parral, Mexico	113,843	55
96	Ahuachapan, El Salvador	110,511	89
97	Cartago, Costa Rica	110,000	75
98	Texcoco de Mora, Mexico	105,165	55
99	Rosarito, Mexico	100,660	56
100	Ciudad Lerdo, Mexico	96,243	56
101	Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico	83,637	55
102	San Miguel de Allende, Mexico	72,452	82
103	Guanajuato, Mexico	70,068	40
104	Puntarenas, Costa Rica	70,000	65
105	Zihuatanejo, Mexico	67,408	56
106	Belize City, Belize	63,999	55
107	San Andres Tuxtla, Mexico	61,719	55
108	Ayutuxtepeque, El Salvador	60,000	48
109	Puerto Penasco, Mexico	56,756	53
110	Rivas, Nicaragua	53,208	35
111	Alajuela, Costa Rica	50,000	79
112	Tulum, Mexico	46,721	53
113	Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala	46,054	64
114	Liberia, Costa Rica	46,000	57
115	Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Mexico	44,103	54
116	Chimaltenango, Guatemala	43,900	37
117	Quesada, Costa Rica	42,000	76
118	Desamparados, Costa Rica	38,000	78
119	Champotón, Mexico	35,799	57
120	Curridabat, Costa Rica	33,000	79

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.