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	135
2	Sydney, Australia	4,840,600	155
3	Brisbane, Australia	2,287,896	123
4	Perth, Australia	2,043,762	142
5	Auckland, New Zealand	1,463,000	115
6	Adelaide, Australia	1,245,011	126
7	Gold Coast, Australia	607,665	132
8	Canberra, Australia	466,566	139
9	Christchurch, New Zealand	380,600	98
10	Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea	364,145	71
11	Canterbury-Bankstown, Australia	350,983	121
12	Logan City, Australia	345,098	88
13	Sunshine Coast, Australia	284,131	106
14	Wollongong, Australia	280,153	97
15	Ipswich, Australia	229,208	108
16	Wellington, New Zealand	215,900	113
17	Hobart, Australia	197,451	130
18	Geelong, Australia	180,239	125
19	Townsville, Australia	173,724	130
20	Hamilton, New Zealand	169,500	75
21	Redland City, Australia	159,222	99
22	Tauranga, New Zealand	155,200	92
23	Cairns, Australia	153,181	119
24	Darwin, Australia	122,207	146
25	Lower Hutt, New Zealand	111,800	105
26	Toowoomba, Australia	108,398	100
27	Ballarat, Australia	105,348	91
28	Dunedin, New Zealand	105,000	86
29	Bendigo, Australia	100,649	96
30	Suva, Fiji	100,000	44

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update: September 15, 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.