Ho Chi Minh City
2,061 km²
Kyoto
828 km²
Vietnam
Japan
Area Comparison
Ho Chi Minh City is 2.5x larger than Kyoto
Population Comparison
Ho Chi Minh City has 6.2x more people than Kyoto
Ho Chi Minh City is significantly larger, covering 2.5 times the area of Kyoto. Ho Chi Minh City spans 2,061 km² (796 mi²) while Kyoto covers 828 km² (320 mi²) — a difference of 1,233 km². You could fit Kyoto inside Ho Chi Minh City approximately 2 times.
To put Ho Chi Minh City's size in perspective, its area of 2,061 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper). Meanwhile, Kyoto at 828 km² is roughly the same size as New York City.
In more relatable units, Ho Chi Minh City's 2,061 km² is about 289,000 American football fields, 35 times the area of Manhattan, or 20 times the area of Paris. Kyoto, by comparison, equals about 116,000 American football fields, 14 times the area of Manhattan, or 8 times the area of Paris.
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.
Known as "Saigon", Ho Chi Minh City covers 2,061 km² with a population of 9.0 million. The city was established in 1698. Ho Chi Minh City is known for Independence Palace, Bitexco Financial Tower, War Remnants Museum, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is 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.
Kyoto, officially Kyoto City , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. As of 2020, the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it the ninth-most populous city in Japan. More than half (56.8%) of Kyoto Prefecture's population resides in the city. The city is the cultural anchor of the substantially larger Greater Kyoto, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) home to a census-estimated 3.8 million people.
Nicknamed "Thousand-Year Capital", Kyoto has an area of 828 km² and is home to 1.5 million people. It was established in 794. Visitors come for Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion, Gion geisha district, and much more.
More than half of Kyoto Prefecture's entire population lives within Kyoto City itself.
Ho Chi Minh City has a population density of 4,362 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Kyoto, with 1,763 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Ho Chi Minh City is noticeably denser, packing 2.5 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Kyoto fits inside Ho Chi Minh City ~2 times
Density Gap
Ho Chi Minh City is 2.5x more densely populated
History
Kyoto is ~904 years older
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).
Kyoto covers 828 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Santiago (838 km²), New York (783 km²), Berlin (892 km²), Hamburg (755 km²), or Bangalore (741 km²).
The straight-line distance from Ho Chi Minh City to Kyoto is 3,988 km (2,478 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~5h 12m.
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