Guangzhou
7,434 km²
Ho Chi Minh City
2,061 km²
China
Vietnam
Area Comparison
Guangzhou is 3.6x larger than Ho Chi Minh City
Population Comparison
Guangzhou has 2.1x more people than Ho Chi Minh City
In terms of area, Guangzhou is 3.6x the size of Ho Chi Minh City. Guangzhou spans 7,434 km² (2,870 mi²) while Ho Chi Minh City covers 2,061 km² (796 mi²) — a difference of 5,373 km². You could fit Ho Chi Minh City inside Guangzhou approximately 3 times.
To put Guangzhou's size in perspective, its area of 7,434 km² is about 1.2x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City at 2,061 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper).
Guangzhou's footprint is roughly about 1,000,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Manhattan, or 71 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Ho Chi Minh City works out to about 289,000 American football fields, 35 times the area of Manhattan, or 20 times the area of Paris.
Guangzhou, also known as Canton, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong in southern China. Located on the Pearl River, about 120 kilometres (75 mi) northwest of Hong Kong and 145 kilometres (90 mi) north of Macau, Guangzhou has a history of over 2,200 years and was a major terminus of the Silk Road.
Known as "Canton", Guangzhou covers 7,434 km² with a population of 18.7 million. The city was founded around 214 BC. Guangzhou is known for Canton Tower, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Shamian Island, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Guangzhou Metro.
Guangzhou boasts a history of over 2,200 years and served as a major terminus of the ancient Silk Road
Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, is the most populous municipality of Vietnam, with a population of more than 14 million in 2025. Its geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigon River. As the largest financial centre in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City has the largest gross regional domestic product out of all Vietnam provinces and municipalities, contributing around a quarter of the country's total GDP.
Nicknamed "Saigon", Ho Chi Minh City has an area of 2,061 km² and is home to 9.0 million people. The city dates back to 1698. Visitors come for Independence Palace, Bitexco Financial Tower, War Remnants Museum, and much more. Getting around is easy with the HCMC Metro (opening 2024).
Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam's largest financial center and contributes around a quarter of the country's total GDP.
Looking beyond city limits, the Guangzhou metropolitan area covers 7,434 km², which is 3.6x larger than greater Ho Chi Minh City at 2,061 km². The Guangzhou metro area is also more populous, with 18.7 million people compared to 9.0 million.
Guangzhou has a population density of 2,513 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Ho Chi Minh City, with 4,362 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Ho Chi Minh City is noticeably denser, packing 1.7 times more people per square kilometer.
Both cities are in Asia, but they represent different national approaches to urban development. Guangzhou (China) and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) offer a fascinating regional contrast.
Guangzhou has a humid subtropical climate while Ho Chi Minh City experiences tropical savanna conditions.
Size Ratio
Ho Chi Minh City fits inside Guangzhou ~3 times
Density Gap
Ho Chi Minh City is 1.7x more densely populated
History
Guangzhou is ~1,912 years older
Guangzhou covers 7,434 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Wuhan (8,569 km²), Perth (6,417 km²), Shanghai (6,341 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), or Xi'an (10,097 km²).
Ho Chi Minh City covers 2,061 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Shenzhen (1,997 km²), Tokyo (2,194 km²), Riyadh (1,798 km²), Cape Town (2,455 km²), or Houston (1,725 km²).
The straight-line distance from Guangzhou to Ho Chi Minh City is 1,539 km (956 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~2h 19m.
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