Ho Chi Minh City
2,061 km²
Xi'an
10,097 km²
Vietnam
People's Republic of China
Area Comparison
Ho Chi Minh City is 4.9x smaller than Xi'an
Population Comparison
Ho Chi Minh City has 1.4x fewer people than Xi'an
Xi'an is significantly larger, covering 4.9 times the area of Ho Chi Minh City. Xi'an spans 10,097 km² (3,898 mi²) while Ho Chi Minh City covers 2,061 km² (796 mi²) — a difference of 8,036 km². You could fit Ho Chi Minh City inside Xi'an approximately 4 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, Xi'an at 10,097 km² is about 1.6x the size of Shanghai.
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. For Xi'an, that's about 1,400,000 American football fields, 170 times the area of Manhattan, or 96 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.
Xi'an is the capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the third-most populous city in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populous city in Northwestern China. Its total population was 12.95 million in the 2020 census, including an urban population of 9.28 million.
Often called "Ancient Capital", Xi'an has an area of 10,097 km² and is home to 12.9 million people. Visitors come for Terracotta Army, Xi'an City Wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and much more.
Xi'an's 2020 census recorded 12.95 million residents, making it the most populous city in Northwestern China.
Ho Chi Minh City has a population density of 4,362 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Xi'an, with 1,283 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Ho Chi Minh City is dramatically more crowded, with 3.4x the population density.
Size Ratio
Ho Chi Minh City fits inside Xi'an ~4 times
Density Gap
Ho Chi Minh City is 3.4x more densely populated
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).
Xi'an covers 10,097 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Melbourne (9,993 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), Sydney (12,368 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), or Chengdu (14,378 km²).
The straight-line distance from Ho Chi Minh City to Xi'an is 2,617 km (1,626 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~3h 35m.
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