Berlin
892 km²
Shanghai
6,341 km²
Germany
China
Area Comparison
Berlin is 7.1x smaller than Shanghai
Population Comparison
Berlin has 6.8x fewer people than Shanghai
Shanghai is significantly larger, covering 7.1 times the area of Berlin. Shanghai spans 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) while Berlin covers 892 km² (344 mi²) — a difference of 5,449 km². You could fit Berlin inside Shanghai approximately 7 times.
To put Berlin's size in perspective, its area of 892 km² is about 1.1x the size of New York City. Meanwhile, Shanghai at 6,341 km² is about 1.5x the size of Los Angeles metro.
Berlin's footprint is roughly about 125,000 American football fields, 15 times the area of Manhattan, or 8 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Shanghai, by comparison, equals about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 times the area of Paris.
Berlin is the capital of Germany, as well as its largest city by both area and population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the highest population within its city limits of any city in the European Union. The city is also one of the states of Germany, being the third-smallest state in the country by area. Berlin is surrounded by the state of Brandenburg, bordering Brandenburg's capital Potsdam to the southwest.
Berlin covers 892 km² with a population of 3.6 million. The city was established in 1237. Berlin is known for Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Wall, Reichstag Building, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the BVG (U-Bahn & S-Bahn).
Berlin holds the highest population within city limits of any city in the European Union, with 3.7 million inhabitants.
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.
Nicknamed "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 1.7x larger than greater Berlin at 3,743 km². The Shanghai metro area is also more populous, with 28.5 million people compared to 6.1 million.
Berlin has a population density of 4,092 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 Berlin is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — Berlin in Europe versus Shanghai in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Berlin has a oceanic climate while Shanghai experiences humid subtropical conditions. Summers are notably different: Shanghai averages 28°C compared to 19°C in Berlin. When it's noon in Shanghai, it's 5:00 AM in Berlin — a 7-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Berlin fits inside Shanghai ~7 times
Time Difference
7 hours apart
Berlin covers 892 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Santiago (838 km²), Kyoto (828 km²), San Diego (964 km²), Abu Dhabi (972 km²), or Dallas (997 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 Berlin to Shanghai is 8,397 km (5,218 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 23m.
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