Cairo
3,085 km²
Rome
1,285 km²
Egypt
Italy
Area Comparison
Cairo is 2.4x larger than Rome
Population Comparison
Cairo has 3.5x more people than Rome
Yes — Cairo is 2.4x larger than Rome by area. Cairo spans 3,085 km² (1,191 mi²) while Rome covers 1,285 km² (496 mi²) — a difference of 1,800 km². You could fit Rome inside Cairo approximately 2 times.
To put Cairo's size in perspective, its area of 3,085 km² is about 1.2x the size of Luxembourg. Meanwhile, Rome at 1,285 km² is about 1.2x smaller than London.
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. Rome works out to about 180,000 American football fields, 22 times the area of Manhattan, or 12 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.
Rome is the capital city and most populated comune (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special comune named Roma Capitale with a population of 2.7 million in an area of 1,287.36 km2 (497.1 mi2), Rome is the third most populous city in the European Union by population within city limits. The Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, with a population of 4.2 million, is the most populous metropolitan city in Italy.
Often called "The Eternal City", Rome has an area of 1,285 km² and is home to 2.9 million people. Its history stretches back to 753 BC. Visitors come for Colosseum, Vatican City, Trevi Fountain, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Rome Metro.
Rome's special comune Roma Capitale spans 1,287 km2, making it the third most populous city in the EU within city limits
Looking beyond city limits, the Cairo metropolitan area covers 6,588 km², which is 1.2x larger than greater Rome at 5,352 km². The Cairo metro area is also more populous, with 21.3 million people compared to 4.3 million.
Cairo has a population density of 3,274 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Rome, with 2,233 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Both cities have comparable density, though Cairo is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — Cairo in Africa versus Rome in Europe. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Cairo has a hot desert climate while Rome experiences Mediterranean conditions.
Size Ratio
Rome fits inside Cairo ~2 times
Density Gap
Cairo is 1.5x more densely populated
History
Rome is ~1,722 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).
Rome covers 1,285 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Los Angeles (1,302 km²), Phoenix (1,341 km²), Rio de Janeiro (1,221 km²), San Antonio (1,209 km²), or Lagos (1,172 km²).
The straight-line distance from Cairo to Rome is 2,132 km (1,325 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~3h 1m.
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