Helsinki
214 km²
Oslo
454 km²
Finland
Norway
Area Comparison
Helsinki is 2.1x smaller than Oslo
Population Comparison
Helsinki has 1.0x fewer people than Oslo
Oslo is significantly larger, covering 2.1 times the area of Helsinki. Oslo spans 454 km² (175 mi²) while Helsinki covers 214 km² (83 mi²) — a difference of 240 km². You could fit Helsinki inside Oslo approximately 2 times.
To put Helsinki's size in perspective, its area of 214 km² is roughly the same size as Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Oslo at 454 km² is about 1.3x smaller than Seoul.
Picture Helsinki another way: its area is large enough to fit about 30,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Monaco, or 63 times the area of Central Park. For Oslo, that's about 64,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Central Park, or 8 times the area of Manhattan.
Helsinki is the capital and most populous city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About 694,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.3 million in the capital region and 1.6 million in the metropolitan area. As the most populous urban area in Finland, it is the country's most significant centre for politics, education, finance, culture, and research.
Known as "Daughter of the Baltic", Helsinki covers 214 km² with a population of 0.7 million. The city was established in 1550. Helsinki is known for Helsinki Cathedral, Suomenlinna fortress, Temppeliaukio Church, among other attractions.
Helsinki sits on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and serves as the capital of Finland's Uusimaa region.
Oslo is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of 724,290 in 2025, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,110,887 in 2025, and the metropolitan area had an estimated population of 1,546,706 in 2021.
Often called "Tigerstaden", Oslo has an area of 454 km² and is home to 0.7 million people. The city dates back to 1048. Visitors come for Vigeland Park, Oslo Opera House, Akershus Fortress, and much more.
Oslo is both a county and a municipality, with the city itself home to about 724,000 residents in 2025.
Helsinki has a population density of 3,224 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Oslo, with 1,586 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Helsinki is noticeably denser, packing 2.0 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Helsinki fits inside Oslo ~2 times
Density Gap
Helsinki is 2.0x more densely populated
History
Oslo is ~502 years older
Helsinki covers 214 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Amsterdam (219 km²), Osaka (225 km²), Buenos Aires (203 km²), Boston (232 km²), or Kuala Lumpur (243 km²).
Oslo covers 454 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Prague (496 km²), Vienna (415 km²), Montreal (498 km²), Denver (401 km²), or Warsaw (517 km²).
The straight-line distance from Helsinki to Oslo is 787 km (489 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~1h 26m.
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