Dublin
115 km²
Shanghai
6,341 km²
City Map Compare/Dublin vs Shanghaivs
vs
2 km
Ireland
China
Area Comparison
Dublin is 55.1x smaller than Shanghai
Population Comparison
Dublin has 42.2x fewer people than Shanghai
In terms of area, Shanghai is 55.1x the size of Dublin. Shanghai spans 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) while Dublin covers 115 km² (44 mi²) — a difference of 6,226 km². You could fit Dublin inside Shanghai approximately 55 times.
To put Dublin's size in perspective, its area of 115 km² is roughly the same size as San Francisco. Meanwhile, Shanghai at 6,341 km² is about 1.5x the size of Los Angeles metro.
Dublin's footprint is roughly about 16,000 American football fields, 57 times the area of Monaco, or 34 times the area of Central Park — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Shanghai, by comparison, equals about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 times the area of Paris.
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, part of the Wicklow Mountains range. Dublin is the largest city by population on the island of Ireland; at the 2022 census, the city council area had a population of 592,713, while the city, including suburbs, had a population of 1,263,219, and County Dublin had a population of 1,501,500.
Known as "The Fair City", Dublin covers 115 km² with a population of 0.6 million. The city was established in 841. Dublin is known for Trinity College, Guinness Storehouse, Temple Bar, among other attractions.
Dublin sits on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, bordered to the south by the Dublin Mountains.
Shanghai is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. It has a population of 29,558,908 in the urban area as of 2025. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River bisecting the city. Shanghai is a global center for finance, business and economics, research, science and technology, manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and culture. The Port of Shanghai is the world's busiest container port.
Nicknamed "Pearl of the Orient", Shanghai has an area of 6,341 km² and is home to 24.9 million people. The city dates back to 1291. Visitors come for The Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shanghai Metro.
Shanghai's urban population reached 29.5 million in 2025, making it the most populous urban area in all of China.
Dublin has a population density of 5,130 people per km² — a densely populated city. Shanghai, with 3,922 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Both cities have comparable density, though Dublin is slightly more compact.
Size Ratio
Dublin fits inside Shanghai ~55 times
Density Gap
Dublin is 1.3x more densely populated
History
Dublin is ~450 years older
Dublin covers 115 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Vancouver (115 km²), San Francisco (121 km²), Paris (105 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), or Doha (132 km²).
Shanghai covers 6,341 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Perth (6,417 km²), Istanbul (5,461 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), or Dubai (4,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from Dublin to Shanghai is 9,346 km (5,808 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~11h 30m.
Want to explore more? Compare city sizes for any two cities worldwide, or share your location live with friends.