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 Oceania Australia and New Zealand Melanesia Micronesia Polynesia

Rank	City	Population	Living Index
1	Melbourne, Australia	5,031,195	123
2	Sydney, Australia	4,840,600	141
3	Brisbane, Australia	2,287,896	117
4	Perth, Australia	2,043,762	116
5	Auckland, New Zealand	1,463,000	116
6	Adelaide, Australia	1,245,011	116
7	Gold Coast, Australia	607,665	128
8	Canberra, Australia	466,566	124
9	Christchurch, New Zealand	380,600	113
10	Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea	364,145	86
11	Canterbury-Bankstown, Australia	350,983	115
12	Logan City, Australia	345,098	91
13	Sunshine Coast, Australia	284,131	99
14	Wollongong, Australia	280,153	97
15	Ipswich, Australia	229,208	108
16	Wellington, New Zealand	215,900	116
17	Hobart, Australia	197,451	124
18	Geelong, Australia	180,239	119
19	Townsville, Australia	173,724	111
20	Hamilton, New Zealand	169,500	94
21	Redland City, Australia	159,222	104
22	Tauranga, New Zealand	155,200	108
23	Cairns, Australia	153,181	114
24	Darwin, Australia	122,207	131
25	Lower Hutt, New Zealand	111,800	114
26	Toowoomba, Australia	108,398	95
27	Ballarat, Australia	105,348	85
28	Dunedin, New Zealand	105,000	92
29	Bendigo, Australia	100,649	82
30	Suva, Fiji	100,000	49

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.