Cairo
3,085 km²
Paris
105 km²
Egypt
France
Area Comparison
Cairo is 29.4x larger than Paris
Population Comparison
Cairo has 4.7x more people than Paris
Cairo is significantly larger, covering 29.4 times the area of Paris. Cairo spans 3,085 km² (1,191 mi²) while Paris covers 105 km² (41 mi²) — a difference of 2,980 km². You could fit Paris inside Cairo approximately 29 times.
To put Cairo's size in perspective, its area of 3,085 km² is about 1.2x the size of Luxembourg. Meanwhile, Paris at 105 km² is about 1.2x smaller than San Francisco.
Cairo's footprint is roughly about 432,000 American football fields, 52 times the area of Manhattan, or 29 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Paris works out to about 15,000 American football fields, 52 times the area of Monaco, or 31 times the area of Central Park.
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.
Paris is the capital and largest city of France, with an estimated city population of 2.04 million in an area of 105.4 km2 (40.7 sq mi), and a metropolitan population of 13.2 million as of January 2026. Located on the river Seine in the centre of the Île-de-France region, it is the largest metropolitan area and fourth-most populous city in the European Union (EU).
Nicknamed "City of Light", Paris has an area of 105 km² and is home to 2.2 million people. The city dates back to 250 BC. Visitors come for Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Paris Métro.
Paris packs 2.04 million people into just 105 km2, giving it one of the highest urban densities in Europe.
Looking beyond city limits, the Paris metropolitan area covers 17,174 km², which is 2.6x larger than greater Cairo at 6,588 km². The Cairo metro area is also more populous, with 21.3 million people compared to 12.3 million.
Cairo has a population density of 3,274 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Paris, with 20,571 people per km², is one of the most densely packed urban areas on Earth. Paris is dramatically more crowded, with 6.3x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Cairo in Africa versus Paris in Europe. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Cairo has a hot desert climate while Paris experiences oceanic conditions. Summers are notably different: Cairo averages 29°C compared to 20°C in Paris.
Size Ratio
Paris fits inside Cairo ~29 times
Density Gap
Paris is 6.3x more densely populated
History
Paris is ~1,219 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).
Paris covers 105 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Barcelona (101 km²), Lisbon (100 km²), Vancouver (115 km²), San Francisco (121 km²), or Copenhagen (91 km²).
The straight-line distance from Cairo to Paris is 3,210 km (1,995 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~4h 17m.
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