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	174
32	Mississauga, Canada	721,599	122
33	Denver, CO, United States	715,522	145
34	El Paso, TX, United States	678,815	96
35	Boston, MA, United States	675,647	199
36	Washington, DC, United States	672,228	179
37	Columbia, TN, United States	672,228	105
38	Washington, MI, United States	672,228	118
39	Winnipeg, Canada	663,617	99
40	Portland, OR, United States	652,503	153
41	Portland, ME, United States	652,503	148
42	Memphis, TN, United States	633,104	112
43	Detroit, MI, United States	632,464	108
44	Vancouver, Canada	631,486	129
45	Louisville, KY, United States	612,780	102
46	Milwaukee, WI, United States	605,013	116
47	Brampton, Canada	593,638	112
48	Baltimore, MD, United States	585,708	115
49	Oklahoma City, OK, United States	579,999	111
50	Quebec City, Canada	530,168	85
51	Tucson, AZ, United States	520,116	108
52	Fresno, CA, United States	520,052	131
53	Hamilton, Canada	519,949	108
54	Surrey, Canada	517,887	107
55	Mesa, AZ, United States	504,258	122
56	Staten Island, NY, United States	495,747	138
57	Omaha, NE, United States	486,051	116
58	Colorado Springs, CO, United States	478,961	137
59	Long Beach, CA, United States	469,450	148
60	Long Beach, NY, United States	469,450	122

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.