Edinburgh
259 km²
Lagos
1,172 km²
United Kingdom
Nigeria
Area Comparison
Edinburgh is 4.5x smaller than Lagos
Population Comparison
Edinburgh has 31.4x fewer people than Lagos
Lagos is significantly larger, covering 4.5 times the area of Edinburgh. Lagos spans 1,172 km² (453 mi²) while Edinburgh covers 259 km² (100 mi²) — a difference of 913 km². You could fit Edinburgh inside Lagos approximately 4 times.
To put Edinburgh's size in perspective, its area of 259 km² is about 1.2x the size of Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Lagos at 1,172 km² is about 1.3x the size of Berlin.
In more relatable units, Edinburgh's 259 km² is about 36,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Monaco, or 76 times the area of Central Park. For Lagos, that's about 164,000 American football fields, 20 times the area of Manhattan, or 11 times the area of Paris.
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. It is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh had a population of 506,520 in 2020, making it the second-most-populous city in Scotland and the seventh-most-populous in the United Kingdom. The wider metropolitan area had a population of 912,490 in the same year.
Known as "Auld Reekie", Edinburgh covers 259 km² with a population of 0.5 million. The city was established in 601. Edinburgh is known for Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, Arthur's Seat, among other attractions.
Edinburgh is bounded by the Firth of Forth to the north and the Pentland Hills to the south.
Lagos, or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan port city in southwestern Nigeria. As of November 2025, the size of the city's population has been estimated to be between 17 and 21 million residents, making Lagos the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and one of the fastest-growing megacities in the world.
Also known as "Lasgidi", Lagos has an area of 1,172 km² and is home to 15.4 million people. It was established in 1472. Visitors come for Victoria Island, Lekki Conservation Centre, Nike Art Gallery, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Lagos Rail (Blue & Red Lines).
Lagos is the most populous urban area on the African continent, with an estimated 17 to 21 million residents as of 2025.
Edinburgh has a population density of 1,892 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Lagos, with 13,131 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Lagos is dramatically more crowded, with 6.9x the population density.
Size Ratio
Edinburgh fits inside Lagos ~4 times
Density Gap
Lagos is 6.9x more densely populated
History
Edinburgh is ~871 years older
Edinburgh covers 259 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Taipei (272 km²), Kuala Lumpur (243 km²), Boston (232 km²), Osaka (225 km²), or Amsterdam (219 km²).
Lagos covers 1,172 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Antonio (1,209 km²), Rio de Janeiro (1,221 km²), Hong Kong (1,114 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), or Los Angeles (1,302 km²).
The straight-line distance from Edinburgh to Lagos is 5,527 km (3,434 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~7h.
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