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	132
2	Sydney, Australia	4,840,600	146
3	Brisbane, Australia	2,287,896	123
4	Perth, Australia	2,043,762	141
5	Auckland, New Zealand	1,463,000	115
6	Adelaide, Australia	1,245,011	126
7	Gold Coast, Australia	607,665	130
8	Canberra, Australia	466,566	135
9	Christchurch, New Zealand	380,600	100
10	Canterbury-Bankstown, Australia	350,983	118
11	Logan City, Australia	345,098	87
12	Sunshine Coast, Australia	284,131	105
13	Wollongong, Australia	280,153	96
14	Ipswich, Australia	229,208	108
15	Wellington, New Zealand	215,900	115
16	Hobart, Australia	197,451	128
17	Geelong, Australia	180,239	122
18	Townsville, Australia	173,724	129
19	Hamilton, New Zealand	169,500	76
20	Redland City, Australia	159,222	98
21	Tauranga, New Zealand	155,200	94
22	Cairns, Australia	153,181	118
23	Darwin, Australia	122,207	143
24	Lower Hutt, New Zealand	111,800	103
25	Toowoomba, Australia	108,398	99
26	Ballarat, Australia	105,348	90
27	Dunedin, New Zealand	105,000	88
28	Bendigo, Australia	100,649	85
29	Palmerston North, New Zealand	90,500	78
30	Launceston, Australia	80,943	96

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

Last update: August 25, 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.