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
121	Chandler, AZ, United States	248,631	137
122	Saskatoon, Canada	246,376	111
123	Saint Petersburg, FL, United States	244,324	146
124	Norfolk, VA, United States	242,803	151
125	Garland, TX, United States	242,035	141
126	Scottsdale, AZ, United States	241,361	154
127	Fremont, CA, United States	241,110	190
128	Boise, ID, United States	235,684	129
129	Baton Rouge, LA, United States	229,493	128
130	Spokane, WA, United States	228,989	137
131	Richmond, KY, United States	226,610	129
132	Richmond, VA, United States	226,610	130
133	Hialeah, FL, United States	224,669	142
134	San Bernardino, CA, United States	220,000	155
135	Tacoma, WA, United States	219,346	164
136	Windsor, Canada	217,188	121
137	Windsor, NS, Canada	217,188	116
138	Regina, Canada	215,106	104
139	Huntsville, AL, United States	215,006	114
140	Yonkers, NY, United States	211,569	172
141	Rochester, MI, United States	211,328	114
142	Rochester, NY, United States	211,328	121
143	Rochester, MN, United States	211,328	141
144	Modesto, CA, United States	211,266	134
145	Fontana, CA, United States	210,000	175
146	Irvine, CA, United States	209,716	192
147	Gilbert, AZ, United States	208,453	141
148	Oxnard, CA, United States	207,254	152
149	Worcester, MA, United States	206,518	148
150	McKinney, TX, United States	202,690	132

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.