Cape Town
2,455 km²
Nairobi
696 km²
South Africa
Kenya
Area Comparison
Cape Town is 3.5x larger than Nairobi
Population Comparison
Cape Town has 1.3x fewer people than Nairobi
Cape Town is significantly larger, covering 3.5 times the area of Nairobi. Cape Town spans 2,455 km² (948 mi²) while Nairobi covers 696 km² (269 mi²) — a difference of 1,759 km². You could fit Nairobi inside Cape Town approximately 3 times.
To put Cape Town's size in perspective, its area of 2,455 km² is roughly the same size as Moscow. Meanwhile, Nairobi at 696 km² is about 1.1x smaller than New York City.
In more relatable units, Cape Town's 2,455 km² is about 344,000 American football fields, 42 times the area of Manhattan, or 23 times the area of Paris. Nairobi, by comparison, equals about 97,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 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.
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya, located in the south-central part of the country. As of 2024, it has a population of 4.8 million and a metropolitan population of 5.7 million, making it the 11th most populous city in Africa. Nicknamed the "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi is uniquely notable for being the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries. Its name originates from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, meaning "place of cool waters".
Also known as "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi has an area of 696 km² and is home to 4.7 million people. The city dates back to 1899. Visitors come for Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Nairobi Commuter Rail.
Nairobi is the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries.
Cape Town has a population density of 1,540 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Nairobi, with 6,796 people per km², is a densely populated city. Nairobi is dramatically more crowded, with 4.4x the population density.
Size Ratio
Nairobi fits inside Cape Town ~3 times
Density Gap
Nairobi is 4.4x more densely populated
History
Cape Town is ~247 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).
Nairobi covers 696 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Tehran (730 km²), Jakarta (662 km²), Singapore (733 km²), Bangalore (741 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Cape Town to Nairobi is 4,103 km (2,549 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~5h 20m. See full distance details, including timezone difference and city facts.
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