Cape Town
2,455 km²
Mexico City
1,485 km²
South Africa
Mexico
Area Comparison
Cape Town is 1.7x larger than Mexico City
Population Comparison
Cape Town has 2.4x fewer people than Mexico City
Yes — Cape Town is 1.7x larger than Mexico City by area. Cape Town spans 2,455 km² (948 mi²) while Mexico City covers 1,485 km² (573 mi²) — a difference of 970 km².
To put Cape Town's size in perspective, its area of 2,455 km² is roughly the same size as Moscow. Meanwhile, Mexico City at 1,485 km² is roughly the same size as London.
Picture Cape Town another way: its area is large enough to fit about 344,000 American football fields, 42 times the area of Manhattan, or 23 times the area of Paris. Mexico City, by comparison, equals about 208,000 American football fields, 25 times the area of Manhattan, or 14 times the area of Paris.
Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's second-largest city by population, after Johannesburg, and the largest city in the Western Cape. The city is part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality.
Known as "The Mother City", Cape Town covers 2,455 km² with a population of 3.8 million. The city was established in 1652. Cape Town is known for Table Mountain, Cape of Good Hope, Robben Island, among other attractions.
Cape Town is South Africa's oldest city, founded in 1652 and home to the seat of the national Parliament.
Mexico City is the capital and most populous city of Mexico, as well as the most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and financial centers in the world, and is classified as an Alpha world city according to the Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) 2024 ranking. Mexico City is located in the Valley of Mexico within the high Mexican central plateau, at an altitude of 2,240 meters.
Also known as "CDMX", Mexico City has an area of 1,485 km² and is home to 9.2 million people. It was established in 1325. Visitors come for Zocalo square, Chapultepec Park, Frida Kahlo Museum, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Mexico City Metro.
Mexico City sits at an altitude of 2,240 meters in the Valley of Mexico on the high Mexican central plateau.
Cape Town has a population density of 1,540 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Mexico City, with 6,202 people per km², is a densely populated city. Mexico City is dramatically more crowded, with 4.0x the population density.
Density Gap
Mexico City is 4.0x more densely populated
History
Mexico City is ~327 years older
Cape Town covers 2,455 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Moscow (2,511 km²), Lima (2,672 km²), Tokyo (2,194 km²), Ho Chi Minh City (2,061 km²), or Shenzhen (1,997 km²).
Mexico City covers 1,485 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Delhi (1,484 km²), São Paulo (1,521 km²), Bangkok (1,569 km²), London (1,572 km²), or Bogotá (1,578 km²).
The straight-line distance from Cape Town to Mexico City is 13,700 km (8,513 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~16h 37m.
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