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	Seattle, WA, United States	737,015	181
32	Mississauga, Canada	721,599	142
33	Denver, CO, United States	715,522	158
34	El Paso, TX, United States	678,815	106
35	Boston, MA, United States	675,647	210
36	Washington, DC, United States	672,228	188
37	Washington, MI, United States	672,228	134
38	Columbia, TN, United States	672,228	115
39	Winnipeg, Canada	663,617	110
40	Portland, OR, United States	652,503	148
41	Portland, ME, United States	652,503	151
42	Memphis, TN, United States	633,104	120
43	Detroit, MI, United States	632,464	125
44	Vancouver, Canada	631,486	143
45	Louisville, KY, United States	612,780	117
46	Milwaukee, WI, United States	605,013	122
47	Brampton, Canada	593,638	118
48	Baltimore, MD, United States	585,708	136
49	Oklahoma City, OK, United States	579,999	116
50	Quebec City, Canada	530,168	98
51	Tucson, AZ, United States	520,116	123
52	Fresno, CA, United States	520,052	150
53	Hamilton, Canada	519,949	123
54	Surrey, Canada	517,887	137
55	Mesa, AZ, United States	504,258	139
56	Staten Island, NY, United States	495,747	147
57	Omaha, NE, United States	486,051	132
58	Colorado Springs, CO, United States	478,961	153
59	Long Beach, CA, United States	469,450	169
60	Long Beach, NY, United States	469,450	129

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.