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
61	Kansas City, KS, United States	463,202	135
62	Kansas City, MO, United States	463,202	119
63	Virginia Beach, VA, United States	459,470	131
64	Laval, Canada	438,366	113
65	Oakland, CA, United States	433,031	171
66	Raleigh, NC, United States	431,746	146
67	Minneapolis, MN, United States	429,954	129
68	Tulsa, OK, United States	413,066	110
69	Miami, FL, United States	404,048	179
70	Halifax, Canada	403,131	125
71	New Orleans, LA, United States	391,006	133
72	London, Canada	383,822	122
73	Bakersfield, CA, United States	373,640	152
74	Cleveland, TN, United States	367,991	115
75	Cleveland, MS, United States	367,991	120
76	Cleveland, OH, United States	367,991	123
77	Arlington, WA, United States	365,438	120
78	Arlington, KY, United States	365,438	134
79	Arlington, TX, United States	365,438	119
80	Arlington, VA, United States	365,438	178
81	Wichita, KS, United States	357,698	110
82	Honolulu, HI, United States	350,964	183
83	Islip, NY, United States	339,938	136
84	Markham, Canada	338,503	139
85	Henderson, NV, United States	337,305	150
86	Santa Ana, CA, United States	335,400	159
87	Tampa, FL, United States	332,888	150
88	Vaughan, Canada	323,103	130
89	Lexington, MA, United States	322,570	129
90	Lexington, KY, United States	322,570	114

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.