City Map Compare/Ho Chi Minh City vs Sydney
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5 km
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Ho Chi Minh City

2,061 km²

Sydney

12,368 km²

Ho Chi Minh City vs Sydney - City Size Comparison

Ho Chi Minh City vs Sydney - City Size Comparison

Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam

Area2,061 km²
Population8.99M
Density4,362 /km²
Elevation19 m
Metro Pop.9.0M
Founded1698
Climatetropical savanna
Sydney

Australia

Area12,368 km²
Population5.31M
Density429 /km²
Elevation58 m
Metro Pop.5.3M
Founded1788
Climatehumid subtropical

Area Comparison

Ho Chi Minh City is 6.0x smaller than Sydney

Population Comparison

Ho Chi Minh City has 1.7x more people than Sydney

Is Ho Chi Minh City Bigger Than Sydney?

Yes — Sydney is 6.0x larger than Ho Chi Minh City by area. Sydney spans 12,368 km² (4,775 mi²) while Ho Chi Minh City covers 2,061 km² (796 mi²) — a difference of 10,307 km². You could fit Ho Chi Minh City inside Sydney approximately 6 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, Sydney at 12,368 km² is about 2.0x the size of Shanghai.

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. Sydney works out to about 1,700,000 American football fields, 120 times the area of Paris, or 100 times the area of San Francisco.

About Ho Chi Minh City

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.

About Sydney

Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and is the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west, and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and the Hawkesbury River in the north and north-west, to the Royal National Park and Macarthur in the south and south-west.

Nicknamed "Sydneysiders", Sydney has an area of 12,368 km² and is home to 5.3 million people. It was established in 1788. Visitors come for Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Sydney Trains.

Sydney stretches roughly 80 km from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west.

Metropolitan Area Comparison

Looking beyond city limits, the Sydney metropolitan area covers 12,368 km², which is 6.0x 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 5.3 million.

Population Density

Ho Chi Minh City has a population density of 4,362 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Sydney, with 429 people per km², is a low-density, sprawling urban area. Ho Chi Minh City is dramatically more crowded, with 10.2x the population density.

This comparison spans continents — Ho Chi Minh City in Asia versus Sydney in Oceania. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.

Climate & Time Zone

Ho Chi Minh City has a tropical savanna climate while Sydney experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in Sydney, it's 9:00 AM in Ho Chi Minh City — a 3-hour time difference.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Ho Chi Minh City fits inside Sydney ~6 times

Density Gap

Ho Chi Minh City is 10.2x more densely populated

Time Difference

3 hours apart

Cities Similar in Size to Ho Chi Minh City

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).

Cities Similar in Size to Sydney

Sydney covers 12,368 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chengdu (14,378 km²), Xi'an (10,097 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), or Beijing (16,411 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Ho Chi Minh City bigger than Sydney?
Sydney is 6.0 times larger than Ho Chi Minh City by area. Sydney covers 12,368 km² while Ho Chi Minh City spans 2,061 km², a difference of 10,307 km².
How many times does Ho Chi Minh City fit inside Sydney?
Ho Chi Minh City (2,061 km²) fits inside Sydney (12,368 km²) approximately 6 times. That means Sydney is 6.0x the area of Ho Chi Minh City.
What is the population difference between Ho Chi Minh City and Sydney?
Ho Chi Minh City has approximately 9.0 million people, while Sydney has about 5.3 million. Ho Chi Minh City has 3.7 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Ho Chi Minh City or Sydney?
Ho Chi Minh City is more densely populated with 4,362 people per km², compared to 429 people per km².
What is the time difference between Ho Chi Minh City and Sydney?
Ho Chi Minh City is in the UTC+7 timezone while Sydney is UTC+10. There is a 3-hour time difference between the two cities.
Which city is older, Ho Chi Minh City or Sydney?
Ho Chi Minh City is older, founded around 1698, while Sydney was established around 1788 — a difference of about 90 years.
How does the map comparison work?
Our synchronized map comparison tool displays both cities at the same zoom level. When you zoom in or out on one map, the other automatically adjusts to maintain the same scale, allowing you to directly compare the relative sizes of both cities.
Can I compare other cities?
Yes! Use the city selectors at the top of the page to choose any two cities from our database of 50+ major cities worldwide, or enter custom coordinates for any location.

Distance Between Ho Chi Minh City and Sydney

The straight-line distance from Ho Chi Minh City to Sydney is 6,845 km (4,253 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~8h 33m.

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