City Map Compare/Cairo vs Edinburgh
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5 km
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Cairo

3,085 km²

Edinburgh

259 km²

Cairo vs Edinburgh - City Size Comparison

Cairo vs Edinburgh - City Size Comparison

Cairo

Egypt

Area3,085 km²
Population10.10M
Density3,274 /km²
Elevation75 m
Metro Pop.21.3M
Founded969
Climatehot desert
Edinburgh

United Kingdom

Area259 km²
Population0.49M
Density1,892 /km²
Elevation47 m
Founded601

Area Comparison

Cairo is 11.9x larger than Edinburgh

Population Comparison

Cairo has 20.6x more people than Edinburgh

Is Cairo Bigger Than Edinburgh?

In terms of area, Cairo is 11.9x the size of Edinburgh. Cairo spans 3,085 km² (1,191 mi²) while Edinburgh covers 259 km² (100 mi²) — a difference of 2,826 km². You could fit Edinburgh inside Cairo approximately 11 times.

To put Cairo's size in perspective, its area of 3,085 km² is about 1.2x the size of Luxembourg. Meanwhile, Edinburgh at 259 km² is about 1.2x the size of Amsterdam.

In more relatable units, Cairo's 3,085 km² is about 432,000 American football fields, 52 times the area of Manhattan, or 29 times the area of Paris. Edinburgh works out to about 36,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Monaco, or 76 times the area of Central Park.

About Cairo

Cairo is the capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate. It is home to more than 9.8 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world, and the Middle East. The Greater Cairo metropolitan area is one of the largest in the world by population with over 22 million people. Areas of what would become Cairo were inhabited from pre-dynastic and early-dynastic ancient Egypt c.

Known as "The City of a Thousand Minarets", Cairo covers 3,085 km² with a population of 10.1 million. The city was established in 969. Cairo is known for Pyramids of Giza, Great Sphinx, Egyptian Museum, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Cairo Metro.

Cairo is home to more than 9.8 million people and is part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa and the Arab world.

About Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. It is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh had a population of 506,520 in 2020, making it the second-most-populous city in Scotland and the seventh-most-populous in the United Kingdom. The wider metropolitan area had a population of 912,490 in the same year.

Also known as "Auld Reekie", Edinburgh has an area of 259 km² and is home to 0.5 million people. It was established in 601. Visitors come for Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, Arthur's Seat, and much more.

Edinburgh is bounded by the Firth of Forth to the north and the Pentland Hills to the south.

Population Density

Cairo has a population density of 3,274 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Edinburgh, with 1,892 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Cairo is noticeably denser, packing 1.7 times more people per square kilometer.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Edinburgh fits inside Cairo ~11 times

Density Gap

Cairo is 1.7x more densely populated

History

Edinburgh is ~368 years older

Cities Similar in Size to Cairo

Cairo covers 3,085 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Hanoi (3,359 km²), Karachi (3,527 km²), Lima (2,672 km²), Moscow (2,511 km²), or Cape Town (2,455 km²).

Cities Similar in Size to Edinburgh

Edinburgh covers 259 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Taipei (272 km²), Kuala Lumpur (243 km²), Boston (232 km²), Osaka (225 km²), or Amsterdam (219 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cairo actually bigger than Edinburgh?
Cairo is 11.9 times larger than Edinburgh by area. Cairo covers 3,085 km² while Edinburgh spans 259 km², a difference of 2,826 km².
How many times does Edinburgh fit inside Cairo?
Edinburgh (259 km²) fits inside Cairo (3,085 km²) approximately 11 times. That means Cairo is 11.9x the area of Edinburgh.
What is the population difference between Cairo and Edinburgh?
Cairo has approximately 10.1 million people, while Edinburgh has about 0.5 million. Cairo has 9.6 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Cairo or Edinburgh?
Cairo is more densely populated with 3,274 people per km², compared to 1,892 people per km².
Which city is older, Cairo or Edinburgh?
Edinburgh is older, founded around 601, while Cairo was established around 969 — a difference of about 368 years.
How does the map comparison work?
Our synchronized map comparison tool displays both cities at the same zoom level. When you zoom in or out on one map, the other automatically adjusts to maintain the same scale, allowing you to directly compare the relative sizes of both cities.
Can I compare other cities?
Yes! Use the city selectors at the top of the page to choose any two cities from our database of 50+ major cities worldwide, or enter custom coordinates for any location.

Distance Between Cairo and Edinburgh

The straight-line distance from Cairo to Edinburgh is 3,942 km (2,449 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~5h 8m.

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