What factors influence AI when trading cities; what is the range of options that they will find acceptable?

If I were to try to trade one city for another to an AI, what would the tradeoff be?

Do they evaluate based on some sort of total city score?

I'm wondering if I could coax an AI away from an area by offering him a more appealing city elsewhere for exchange.

I am also wondering if I could trade a city of mine for a locked team AI's city on another island that I cannot yet reach (deep sea).

The AI will never agree to trade cities, except in peace negotiations. You can gift cities but even if you're offering a million gold for a 1 pop city or offering to sell your entire empire for a single luxury, they will say no.

They WILL trade cities, but it usually costs alot, even if the city you want has like 2 civillians.

I was asking russia for a city with 4 civillians, and after fiddling around with the trade offer a bit, she said she'd agree in exchange for 2.1k gold, 200 GPT, Basically all my strategic and luxury resources, and a city with 11 civillians.

You can trade cities, but it's usually not worth it. The AI finds cities VERY valuable.