Ho Chi Minh City
2,061 km²
Rio de Janeiro
1,221 km²
2,061 km²
1,221 km²
Vietnam
Brazil
Area Comparison
Ho Chi Minh City is 1.7x larger than Rio de Janeiro
Population Comparison
Ho Chi Minh City has 1.3x more people than Rio de Janeiro
In terms of area, Ho Chi Minh City is 1.7x the size of Rio de Janeiro. Ho Chi Minh City spans 2,061 km² (796 mi²) while Rio de Janeiro covers 1,221 km² (471 mi²) — a difference of 840 km².
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, Rio de Janeiro at 1,221 km² is about 1.3x smaller than London.
Picture Ho Chi Minh City another way: its area is large enough to fit about 289,000 American football fields, 35 times the area of Manhattan, or 20 times the area of Paris. Rio de Janeiro, by comparison, equals about 171,000 American football fields, 21 times the area of Manhattan, or 12 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.
Rio de Janeiro, also known simply as Rio, is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the second-most-populous city in Brazil after São Paulo and the sixth-most-populous city in the Americas.
Often called "Cidade Maravilhosa", Rio de Janeiro has an area of 1,221 km² and is home to 6.8 million people. It was established in 1565. Visitors come for Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana beach, and much more. Getting around is easy with the MetrôRio.
Rio de Janeiro is the second-most-populous city in Brazil after São Paulo and the sixth-most-populous in the Americas.
Looking beyond city limits, the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area covers 6,744 km², which is 3.3x larger than greater Ho Chi Minh City at 2,061 km². The Rio de Janeiro metro area is also more populous, with 13.5 million people compared to 9.0 million.
Ho Chi Minh City has a population density of 4,362 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Rio de Janeiro, with 5,528 people per km², is a densely populated city. Both cities have comparable density, though Rio de Janeiro is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — Ho Chi Minh City in Asia versus Rio de Janeiro in South America. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Both cities share a tropical savanna climate, though local geography creates distinct microclimates in each. When it's noon in Ho Chi Minh City, it's 2:00 AM in Rio de Janeiro — a 10-hour time difference.
Time Difference
10 hours apart
History
Rio de Janeiro is ~133 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).
Rio de Janeiro covers 1,221 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Antonio (1,209 km²), Lagos (1,172 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), Los Angeles (1,302 km²), or Hong Kong (1,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from Ho Chi Minh City to Rio de Janeiro is 16,542 km (10,279 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~19h 58m.
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