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, MO, United States	463,202	111
62	Kansas City, KS, United States	463,202	124
63	Virginia Beach, VA, United States	459,470	127
64	Laval, Canada	438,366	108
65	Oakland, CA, United States	433,031	166
66	Raleigh, NC, United States	431,746	120
67	Minneapolis, MN, United States	429,954	125
68	Tulsa, OK, United States	413,066	105
69	Miami, FL, United States	404,048	174
70	Halifax, Canada	403,131	117
71	New Orleans, LA, United States	391,006	125
72	London, Canada	383,822	109
73	Bakersfield, CA, United States	373,640	144
74	Cleveland, TN, United States	367,991	101
75	Cleveland, OH, United States	367,991	111
76	Cleveland, MS, United States	367,991	116
77	Arlington, WA, United States	365,438	117
78	Arlington, VA, United States	365,438	164
79	Arlington, TX, United States	365,438	110
80	Arlington, KY, United States	365,438	123
81	Wichita, KS, United States	357,698	100
82	Honolulu, HI, United States	350,964	180
83	Islip, NY, United States	339,938	48
84	Markham, Canada	338,503	115
85	Henderson, NV, United States	337,305	138
86	Santa Ana, CA, United States	335,400	164
87	Tampa, FL, United States	332,888	143
88	Vaughan, Canada	323,103	120
89	Lexington, KY, United States	322,570	100
90	Lexington, MA, United States	322,570	119

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.