Cairo
3,085 km²
Seoul
605 km²
Egypt
South Korea
Area Comparison
Cairo is 5.1x larger than Seoul
Population Comparison
Cairo has 1.0x more people than Seoul
Cairo is significantly larger, covering 5.1 times the area of Seoul. Cairo spans 3,085 km² (1,191 mi²) while Seoul covers 605 km² (234 mi²) — a difference of 2,480 km². You could fit Seoul inside Cairo approximately 5 times.
To put Cairo's size in perspective, its area of 3,085 km² is about 1.2x the size of Luxembourg. Meanwhile, Seoul at 605 km² is about 1.3x smaller than New York City.
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. Seoul works out to about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 times the area of Manhattan.
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.
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea, and the largest city in the whole of Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Paris, and London, and hosts more than half of South Korea's population.
Seoul has an area of 605 km² and is home to 9.8 million people. The city dates back to 18 BC. Visitors come for Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gangnam district, Myeongdong shopping, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Seoul Metro.
Seoul Metropolitan Area emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind only NYC, Tokyo, LA, Paris, and London.
Looking beyond city limits, the Seoul metropolitan area covers 11,704 km², which is 1.8x larger than greater Cairo at 6,588 km². The Seoul metro area is also more populous, with 25.5 million people compared to 21.3 million.
Cairo has a population density of 3,274 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Seoul, with 16,149 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Seoul is dramatically more crowded, with 4.9x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Cairo in Africa versus Seoul in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Cairo has a hot desert climate while Seoul experiences humid continental conditions. Winters differ dramatically: Cairo stays around 14°C while Seoul drops to -3°C. When it's noon in Seoul, it's 5:00 AM in Cairo — a 7-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Seoul fits inside Cairo ~5 times
Density Gap
Seoul is 4.9x more densely populated
Time Difference
7 hours apart
History
Seoul is ~987 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).
Seoul covers 605 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chicago (606 km²), Madrid (604 km²), Mumbai (603 km²), Toronto (630 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Cairo to Seoul is 8,486 km (5,273 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 29m.
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