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
1	Long Island, NY, United States	7,804,968	179
2	Los Angeles, CA, United States	4,030,904	181
3	Chicago, IL, United States	2,746,388	154
4	Toronto, Canada	2,731,571	140
5	Queens, NY, United States	2,405,464	166
6	Houston, TX, United States	2,304,580	130
7	Houston, MO, United States	2,304,580	127
8	Montreal, Canada	1,762,949	104
9	Manhattan, KS, United States	1,694,251	106
10	Phoenix, AZ, United States	1,608,139	141
11	San Antonio, TX, United States	1,434,625	121
12	San Diego, CA, United States	1,386,932	197
13	Dallas, TX, United States	1,302,638	146
14	Calgary, Canada	1,267,344	124
15	San Jose, CA, United States	1,035,317	221
16	Edmonton, Canada	1,010,899	111
17	Ottawa, Canada	1,000,000	126
18	Fort Worth, TX, United States	996,756	135
19	Austin, MN, United States	974,447	122
20	Austin, TX, United States	974,447	136
21	Jacksonville, FL, United States	949,611	125
22	Jacksonville, NC, United States	949,611	129
23	Columbus, OH, United States	905,748	130
24	Columbus, GA, United States	905,748	113
25	Columbus, IN, United States	905,748	109
26	Indianapolis, IN, United States	882,039	134
27	Frisco, TX, United States	873,965	139
28	San Francisco, CA, United States	873,965	227
29	Hempstead, NY, United States	793,409	128
30	Charlotte, MI, United States	751,087	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.