Ho Chi Minh City
2,061 km²
Lisbon
100 km²
Vietnam
Portugal
Area Comparison
Ho Chi Minh City is 20.6x larger than Lisbon
Population Comparison
Ho Chi Minh City has 16.3x more people than Lisbon
Yes — Ho Chi Minh City is 20.6x larger than Lisbon by area. Ho Chi Minh City spans 2,061 km² (796 mi²) while Lisbon covers 100 km² (39 mi²) — a difference of 1,961 km². You could fit Lisbon inside Ho Chi Minh City approximately 20 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, Lisbon at 100 km² is roughly the same size as Paris (city proper).
Ho Chi Minh City's footprint is roughly about 289,000 American football fields, 35 times the area of Manhattan, or 20 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Lisbon works out to about 14,000 American football fields, 50 times the area of Monaco, or 29 times the area of Central Park.
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.
Lisbon is the capital and most populous city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 575,739 as of 2024, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainland Europe's westernmost capital city, and the only one along the Atlantic coast, the others being on islands. The city lies in the western portion of the Iberian Peninsula, on the northern shore of the River Tagus.
Nicknamed "City of Seven Hills", Lisbon has an area of 100 km² and is home to 0.6 million people. It was founded around 1200 BC. Visitors come for Belém Tower, Jerónimos Monastery, Tram 28, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Lisbon Metro.
Lisbon is mainland Europe's westernmost capital city and the only European capital along the Atlantic coast.
Looking beyond city limits, the Lisbon metropolitan area covers 3,015 km², which is 1.5x larger than greater Ho Chi Minh City at 2,061 km². The Ho Chi Minh City metro area is also more populous, with 9.0 million people compared to 2.9 million.
Ho Chi Minh City has a population density of 4,362 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Lisbon, with 5,500 people per km², is a densely populated city. Both cities have comparable density, though Lisbon is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — Ho Chi Minh City in Asia versus Lisbon in Europe. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Ho Chi Minh City has a tropical savanna climate while Lisbon experiences Mediterranean conditions. When it's noon in Ho Chi Minh City, it's 5:00 AM in Lisbon — a 7-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Lisbon fits inside Ho Chi Minh City ~20 times
Time Difference
7 hours apart
History
Lisbon is ~2,898 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).
Lisbon covers 100 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Barcelona (101 km²), Paris (105 km²), Copenhagen (91 km²), Zurich (88 km²), or Vancouver (115 km²).
The straight-line distance from Ho Chi Minh City to Lisbon is 11,393 km (7,079 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~13h 54m.
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