diff --git a/src/simulator/crates/mc-city/src/city.rs b/src/simulator/crates/mc-city/src/city.rs
index b2ae4708..1065967a 100644
--- a/src/simulator/crates/mc-city/src/city.rs
+++ b/src/simulator/crates/mc-city/src/city.rs
@@ -99,8 +99,12 @@ impl TileYield {
     }
 }
 
-/// Food consumed per citizen per turn (Civ5 standard).
-pub const FOOD_PER_POP: f64 = 2.0;
+/// Food consumed per citizen per turn. Tuned to 1.5 (below Civ5's 2.0) so
+/// small cities (pop 2-3) in plains/hills-heavy biomes can still climb past
+/// pop 3 on center yield + one mediocre food tile. With 4-food center:
+/// pop 2 breakeven → +1.0 surplus; pop 3 deficit of −0.5 covered by any
+/// 1-food tile; pop 4 needs two food tiles (still achievable).
+pub const FOOD_PER_POP: f64 = 1.5;
 
 /// Base city HP before population scaling.
 pub const BASE_CITY_HP: u32 = 200;
@@ -658,9 +662,9 @@ mod tests {
         let mut city = City::found("Ironhold", (5, 5), true, 1);
         city.population = 1;
         // With no tile yields, city center gives 4 food.
-        // Surplus = 4.0 - 2.0*1 = 2.0
+        // Surplus = 4.0 - 1.5*1 = 2.5
         let surplus = city.get_food_surplus(&[]);
-        assert!((surplus - 2.0).abs() < f64::EPSILON);
+        assert!((surplus - 2.5).abs() < f64::EPSILON);
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -673,18 +677,15 @@ mod tests {
         let ty = vec![
             TileYield { coord: (6, 5), food: 5.0, ..TileYield::default() },
         ];
-        // Surplus per turn: (4 + 5) - 2*1 = 7.0
+        // Surplus per turn: (4 + 5) - 1.5*1 = 7.5
         // Threshold at pop 1: 15.0
-        // Turn 1: food_stored = 7
+        // Turn 1: food_stored = 7.5
         assert_eq!(city.process_growth(&ty), 0);
-        assert_eq!(city.food_stored, 7.0);
-        // Turn 2: food_stored = 14
-        assert_eq!(city.process_growth(&ty), 0);
-        assert_eq!(city.food_stored, 14.0);
-        // Turn 3: food_stored = 21 >= 15 → grow, carry 6.0
+        assert_eq!(city.food_stored, 7.5);
+        // Turn 2: food_stored = 15.0 >= 15 → grow, carry 0
         assert_eq!(city.process_growth(&ty), 1);
         assert_eq!(city.population, 2);
-        assert_eq!(city.food_stored, 6.0); // 21 - 15 = 6
+        assert_eq!(city.food_stored, 0.0); // 15 - 15 = 0
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -692,8 +693,8 @@ mod tests {
         let mut city = City::found("Ironhold", (5, 5), true, 1);
         city.population = 3;
         // No worked tiles beyond center → yields = 4 food
-        // Consumption = 2*3 = 6. Surplus = 4 - 6 = -2
-        // food_stored starts at 0, then 0 + (-3) = -3 < 0, pop > 1 → starve
+        // Consumption = 1.5*3 = 4.5. Surplus = 4 - 4.5 = -0.5
+        // food_stored: 0 + (-0.5) = -0.5 < 0, pop > 1 → starve
         let ty: Vec<TileYield> = vec![];
         assert_eq!(city.process_growth(&ty), -1);
         assert_eq!(city.population, 2);