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
211	Palmdale, CA, United States	152,750	137
212	Sunnyvale, CA, United States	152,703	198
213	Macon, GA, United States	152,663	99
214	Corona, CA, United States	152,374	153
215	Bellevue, NE, United States	151,854	118
216	Bellevue, WA, United States	151,854	182
217	Escondido, CA, United States	151,038	179
218	Joliet, IL, United States	150,362	129
219	Charleston, SC, United States	150,227	149
220	Charleston, WV, United States	150,227	90
221	Mesquite, TX, United States	150,108	129
222	Mesquite, NV, United States	150,108	125
223	Pembroke Pines, FL, United States	150,064	164
224	Naperville, IL, United States	149,540	148
225	Rockford, IL, United States	148,655	106
226	Rockford, MI, United States	148,655	132
227	Coquitlam, Canada	148,625	148
228	Syracuse, NY, United States	148,620	149
229	Fort Collins, CO, United States	148,612	123
230	Paterson, NJ, United States	147,000	135
231	Savannah, GA, United States	146,444	135
232	Saguenay, Canada	144,723	66
233	Kelowna, Canada	144,576	122
234	Torrance, CA, United States	142,350	180
235	McAllen, TX, United States	142,210	88
236	Barrie, Canada	141,434	131
237	Abbotsford, Canada	141,397	114
238	Lakewood, WA, United States	140,024	125
239	Columbia, MO, United States	139,698	93
240	Columbia, SC, United States	139,698	109

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.