Cairo
3,085 km²
Ho Chi Minh City
2,061 km²
Egypt
Vietnam
Area Comparison
Cairo is 1.5x larger than Ho Chi Minh City
Population Comparison
Cairo has 1.1x more people than Ho Chi Minh City
Yes — Cairo is 1.5x larger than Ho Chi Minh City by area. Cairo spans 3,085 km² (1,191 mi²) while Ho Chi Minh City covers 2,061 km² (796 mi²) — a difference of 1,024 km².
To put Cairo's size in perspective, its area of 3,085 km² is about 1.2x the size of Luxembourg. Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City at 2,061 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper).
Picture Cairo another way: its area is large enough to fit about 432,000 American football fields, 52 times the area of Manhattan, or 29 times the area of Paris. For Ho Chi Minh City, that's about 289,000 American football fields, 35 times the area of Manhattan, or 20 times the area of Paris.
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.
Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, is the most populous municipality of Vietnam, with a population of more than 14 million in 2025. Its geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigon River. As the largest financial centre in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City has the largest gross regional domestic product out of all Vietnam provinces and municipalities, contributing around a quarter of the country's total GDP.
Also known as "Saigon", Ho Chi Minh City has an area of 2,061 km² and is home to 9.0 million people. Its history stretches back to 1698. Visitors come for Independence Palace, Bitexco Financial Tower, War Remnants Museum, and much more. Getting around is easy with the HCMC Metro (opening 2024).
Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam's largest financial center and contributes around a quarter of the country's total GDP.
Looking beyond city limits, the Cairo metropolitan area covers 6,588 km², which is 3.2x larger than greater Ho Chi Minh City at 2,061 km². The Cairo metro area is also more populous, with 21.3 million people compared to 9.0 million.
Cairo has a population density of 3,274 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Ho Chi Minh City, with 4,362 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Both cities have comparable density, though Ho Chi Minh City is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — Cairo in Africa versus Ho Chi Minh City in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Cairo has a hot desert climate while Ho Chi Minh City experiences tropical savanna conditions. When it's noon in Ho Chi Minh City, it's 7:00 AM in Cairo — a 5-hour time difference.
Density Gap
Ho Chi Minh City is 1.3x more densely populated
Time Difference
5 hours apart
History
Cairo is ~729 years older
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).
Ho Chi Minh City covers 2,061 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Shenzhen (1,997 km²), Tokyo (2,194 km²), Riyadh (1,798 km²), Cape Town (2,455 km²), or Houston (1,725 km²).
The straight-line distance from Cairo to Ho Chi Minh City is 8,010 km (4,977 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~9h 55m.
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