Amsterdam
219 km²
Shanghai
6,341 km²
Netherlands
China
Area Comparison
Amsterdam is 29.0x smaller than Shanghai
Population Comparison
Amsterdam has 27.0x fewer people than Shanghai
Yes — Shanghai is 29.0x larger than Amsterdam by area. Shanghai spans 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) while Amsterdam covers 219 km² (85 mi²) — a difference of 6,122 km². You could fit Amsterdam inside Shanghai approximately 28 times.
To put Amsterdam's size in perspective, its area of 219 km² is about 1.2x the size of Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, Shanghai at 6,341 km² is about 1.5x the size of Los Angeles metro.
Amsterdam's footprint is roughly about 31,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Monaco, or 64 times the area of Central Park — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Shanghai works out to about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 times the area of Paris.
Amsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the urban area and 2,480,394 in the metropolitan area. Located in the Dutch province of North Holland, Amsterdam is colloquially referred to as the "Venice of the North", for its large number of canals, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Known as "Venice of the North", Amsterdam covers 219 km² with a population of 0.9 million. The city was established in 1275. Amsterdam is known for Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the GVB (Metro & Tram).
Amsterdam's historic canal ring is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, earning it the nickname Venice of the North
Shanghai is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. It has a population of 29,558,908 in the urban area as of 2025. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River bisecting the city. Shanghai is a global center for finance, business and economics, research, science and technology, manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and culture. The Port of Shanghai is the world's busiest container port.
Also known as "Pearl of the Orient", Shanghai has an area of 6,341 km² and is home to 24.9 million people. The city dates back to 1291. Visitors come for The Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shanghai Metro.
Shanghai's urban population reached 29.5 million in 2025, making it the most populous urban area in all of China.
Looking beyond city limits, the Shanghai metropolitan area covers 6,341 km², which is 2.5x larger than greater Amsterdam at 2,580 km². The Shanghai metro area is also more populous, with 28.5 million people compared to 2.5 million.
Amsterdam has a population density of 4,201 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Shanghai, with 3,922 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Both cities have comparable density, though Amsterdam is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — Amsterdam in Europe versus Shanghai in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Amsterdam has a oceanic climate while Shanghai experiences humid subtropical conditions. Summers are notably different: Shanghai averages 28°C compared to 17°C in Amsterdam. When it's noon in Shanghai, it's 5:00 AM in Amsterdam — a 7-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Amsterdam fits inside Shanghai ~28 times
Time Difference
7 hours apart
Amsterdam covers 219 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Helsinki (214 km²), Osaka (225 km²), Boston (232 km²), Buenos Aires (203 km²), or Kuala Lumpur (243 km²).
Shanghai covers 6,341 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Perth (6,417 km²), Istanbul (5,461 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), or Dubai (4,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from Amsterdam to Shanghai is 8,873 km (5,514 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 56m.
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