Hanoi
3,359 km²
Kuala Lumpur
243 km²
Vietnam
Malaysia
Area Comparison
Hanoi is 13.8x larger than Kuala Lumpur
Population Comparison
Hanoi has 4.1x more people than Kuala Lumpur
Yes — Hanoi is 13.8x larger than Kuala Lumpur by area. Hanoi spans 3,359 km² (1,297 mi²) while Kuala Lumpur covers 243 km² (94 mi²) — a difference of 3,116 km². You could fit Kuala Lumpur inside Hanoi approximately 13 times.
To put Hanoi's size in perspective, its area of 3,359 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Rhode Island. Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur at 243 km² is about 1.1x the size of Amsterdam.
Hanoi's footprint is roughly about 470,000 American football fields, 57 times the area of Manhattan, or 32 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Kuala Lumpur works out to about 34,000 American football fields, 120 times the area of Monaco, or 71 times the area of Central Park.
Hanoi is the capital and second-most populous municipality of Vietnam. It encompasses an area of 3,358.6 km2 (1,296.8 mi2), and as of 2025 has a population of 8,807,523. Hanoi had the second-highest gross regional domestic product of all Vietnamese provinces and municipalities at US$48 billion in 2023, behind Ho Chi Minh City. It hosts 78 foreign embassies, the headquarters of the Vietnam People's Army (VPA), its Vietnam National University system, and other governmental organizations.
Known as "City Between Rivers", Hanoi covers 3,359 km² with a population of 8.1 million. The city was established in 1010. Hanoi is known for Hoan Kiem Lake, Old Quarter, Temple of Literature, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Hanoi Metro.
Hanoi encompasses 3,358.6 square kilometers and had a population of nearly 8.8 million as of 2025.
Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a federal territory of Malaysia. It is the most populous city in the country, covering an area of 243 km2 (94 sq mi) with a population of 2,075,600 as of 2024. Greater Kuala Lumpur, which itself includes the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 8.8 million people as of 2024. It is among the fastest growing metropolitan regions in Southeast Asia, in terms of both population and economic development.
Also known as "KL", Kuala Lumpur has an area of 243 km² and is home to 2.0 million people. The city dates back to 1857. Visitors come for Petronas Twin Towers, Batu Caves, Merdeka 118, and much more. Getting around is easy with the RapidKL (LRT, MRT & Monorail).
Kuala Lumpur packs 2.07 million people into just 243 km2, making it Malaysia's most populous city by far
Looking beyond city limits, the Hanoi metropolitan area covers 3,359 km², which is 1.2x larger than greater Kuala Lumpur at 2,793 km². The Kuala Lumpur metro area is also more populous, with 8.4 million people compared to 8.1 million.
Hanoi has a population density of 2,397 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Kuala Lumpur, with 8,148 people per km², is a densely populated city. Kuala Lumpur is dramatically more crowded, with 3.4x the population density.
Both cities are in Asia, but they represent different national approaches to urban development. Hanoi (Vietnam) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) offer a fascinating regional contrast.
Hanoi has a humid subtropical climate while Kuala Lumpur experiences tropical rainforest conditions.
Size Ratio
Kuala Lumpur fits inside Hanoi ~13 times
Density Gap
Kuala Lumpur is 3.4x more densely populated
History
Hanoi is ~847 years older
Hanoi covers 3,359 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Karachi (3,527 km²), Cairo (3,085 km²), Dubai (4,114 km²), Lima (2,672 km²), or Moscow (2,511 km²).
Kuala Lumpur covers 243 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Boston (232 km²), Edinburgh (259 km²), Osaka (225 km²), Amsterdam (219 km²), or Taipei (272 km²).
The straight-line distance from Hanoi to Kuala Lumpur is 2,039 km (1,267 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~2h 54m.
Want to explore more? Compare city sizes for any two cities worldwide, or share your location live with friends.