Johannesburg
1,644 km²
Karachi
3,527 km²
South Africa
Pakistan
Area Comparison
Johannesburg is 2.1x smaller than Karachi
Population Comparison
Johannesburg has 3.1x fewer people than Karachi
Yes — Karachi is 2.1x larger than Johannesburg by area. Karachi spans 3,527 km² (1,362 mi²) while Johannesburg covers 1,644 km² (635 mi²) — a difference of 1,883 km². You could fit Johannesburg inside Karachi approximately 2 times.
To put Johannesburg's size in perspective, its area of 1,644 km² is roughly the same size as London. Meanwhile, Karachi at 3,527 km² is about 1.1x smaller than Rhode Island.
Picture Johannesburg another way: its area is large enough to fit about 230,000 American football fields, 28 times the area of Manhattan, or 16 times the area of Paris. Karachi, by comparison, equals about 494,000 American football fields, 60 times the area of Manhattan, or 33 times the area of Paris.
Johannesburg, colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg or "The City of Gold", is the most populous city in South Africa. The City of Johannesburg itself has a population of 5,538,596, while the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality has a population of 6,599,190, making it one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, and seat of the country's highest court, the Constitutional Court.
Known as "Jozi", Johannesburg covers 1,644 km² with a population of 4.8 million. The city was established in 1886. Johannesburg is known for Apartheid Museum, Soweto township, Constitutional Court, among other attractions.
Johannesburg ranks among the world's 100 largest urban areas, with a metro population of about 6.6 million.
Karachi is the capital city of the province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the largest city in Pakistan and 12th largest in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast and formerly served as the country's capital from 1947 to 1959. Ranked as a beta-global city, it is Pakistan's premier industrial and financial centre, with an estimated GDP of over $200 billion (PPP) as of 2021.
Nicknamed "City of Lights", Karachi has an area of 3,527 km² and is home to 14.9 million people. It was established in 1729. Visitors come for Port of Karachi, Mazar-e-Quaid mausoleum, Clifton Beach, and much more.
Karachi is Pakistan's largest city and the 12th largest in the world, with a population of over 20 million.
Johannesburg has a population density of 2,920 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Karachi, with 4,227 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Both cities have comparable density, though Karachi is slightly more compact.
Size Ratio
Johannesburg fits inside Karachi ~2 times
Density Gap
Karachi is 1.4x more densely populated
History
Karachi is ~157 years older
Johannesburg covers 1,644 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Bogotá (1,578 km²), London (1,572 km²), Bangkok (1,569 km²), Houston (1,725 km²), or São Paulo (1,521 km²).
Karachi covers 3,527 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Hanoi (3,359 km²), Cairo (3,085 km²), Dubai (4,114 km²), Lima (2,672 km²), or Moscow (2,511 km²).
The straight-line distance from Johannesburg to Karachi is 7,053 km (4,382 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~8h 48m.
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