Beijing
16,411 km²
Kuala Lumpur
243 km²
China
Malaysia
Area Comparison
Beijing is 67.5x larger than Kuala Lumpur
Population Comparison
Beijing has 10.9x more people than Kuala Lumpur
In terms of area, Beijing is 67.5x the size of Kuala Lumpur. Beijing spans 16,411 km² (6,336 mi²) while Kuala Lumpur covers 243 km² (94 mi²) — a difference of 16,168 km². You could fit Kuala Lumpur inside Beijing approximately 67 times.
To put Beijing's size in perspective, its area of 16,411 km² is about 2.6x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur at 243 km² is about 1.1x the size of Amsterdam.
Picture Beijing another way: its area is large enough to fit about 2,300,000 American football fields, 160 times the area of Paris, or 140 times the area of San Francisco. Kuala Lumpur works out to about 34,000 American football fields, 120 times the area of Monaco, or 71 times the area of Central Park.
Beijing, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's most populous national capital city, as well as China's second-largest city by urban area, after Shanghai. It is located in Northern China, and is governed as a municipality under the direct administration of the State Council with 16 urban districts.
Known as "Northern Capital", Beijing covers 16,411 km² with a population of 21.5 million. The city was founded around 1045 BC. Beijing is known for Forbidden City, Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Beijing Subway.
With over 22 million residents, Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city.
Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a federal territory of Malaysia. It is the most populous city in the country, covering an area of 243 km2 (94 sq mi) with a population of 2,075,600 as of 2024. Greater Kuala Lumpur, which itself includes the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 8.8 million people as of 2024. It is among the fastest growing metropolitan regions in Southeast Asia, in terms of both population and economic development.
Also known as "KL", Kuala Lumpur has an area of 243 km² and is home to 2.0 million people. Its history stretches back to 1857. Visitors come for Petronas Twin Towers, Batu Caves, Merdeka 118, and much more. Getting around is easy with the RapidKL (LRT, MRT & Monorail).
Kuala Lumpur packs 2.07 million people into just 243 km2, making it Malaysia's most populous city by far
Looking beyond city limits, the Beijing metropolitan area covers 16,411 km², which is 5.9x larger than greater Kuala Lumpur at 2,793 km². The Beijing metro area is also more populous, with 21.5 million people compared to 8.4 million.
Beijing has a population density of 1,313 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Kuala Lumpur, with 8,148 people per km², is a densely populated city. Kuala Lumpur is dramatically more crowded, with 6.2x the population density.
Both cities are in Asia, but they represent different national approaches to urban development. Beijing (China) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) offer a fascinating regional contrast.
Beijing has a humid continental climate while Kuala Lumpur experiences tropical rainforest conditions. Winters differ dramatically: Kuala Lumpur stays around 27°C while Beijing drops to -3°C.
Size Ratio
Kuala Lumpur fits inside Beijing ~67 times
Density Gap
Kuala Lumpur is 6.2x more densely populated
History
Beijing is ~2,902 years older
Beijing covers 16,411 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Hangzhou (16,854 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), Chengdu (14,378 km²), Sydney (12,368 km²), or Xi'an (10,097 km²).
Kuala Lumpur covers 243 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Boston (232 km²), Edinburgh (259 km²), Osaka (225 km²), Amsterdam (219 km²), or Taipei (272 km²).
The straight-line distance from Beijing to Kuala Lumpur is 4,349 km (2,702 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~5h 37m.
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