Johannesburg
1,644 km²
Manila
43 km²
South Africa
Philippines
Area Comparison
Johannesburg is 38.2x larger than Manila
Population Comparison
Johannesburg has 2.6x more people than Manila
Johannesburg is significantly larger, covering 38.2 times the area of Manila. Johannesburg spans 1,644 km² (635 mi²) while Manila covers 43 km² (17 mi²) — a difference of 1,601 km². You could fit Manila inside Johannesburg approximately 38 times.
To put Johannesburg's size in perspective, its area of 1,644 km² is roughly the same size as London. Meanwhile, Manila at 43 km² is about 1.4x smaller than Manhattan.
Johannesburg's footprint is roughly about 230,000 American football fields, 28 times the area of Manhattan, or 16 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Manila, by comparison, equals about 6,000 American football fields, 88 times the area of Vatican City, or 21 times the area of Monaco.
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.
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 1,902,590 people. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on the island of Luzon, it is classified as a highly urbanized city. With 44,935 inhabitants per square kilometer (116,380/sq mi), Manila is one of the world's most densely populated cities proper.
Also known as "Pearl of the Orient", Manila has an area of 43 km² and is home to 1.9 million people. The city dates back to 1571. Visitors come for Intramuros walled city, Rizal Park, Manila Bay, and much more. Getting around is easy with the LRT & MRT Manila.
Manila has 44,935 inhabitants per square kilometer, making it one of the world's most densely populated cities proper.
Johannesburg has a population density of 2,920 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Manila, with 43,023 people per km², is one of the most densely packed urban areas on Earth. Manila is dramatically more crowded, with 14.7x the population density.
Size Ratio
Manila fits inside Johannesburg ~38 times
Density Gap
Manila is 14.7x more densely populated
History
Manila is ~315 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).
Manila covers 43 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Athens (39 km²), Tel Aviv (52 km²), Zurich (88 km²), Copenhagen (91 km²), or Lisbon (100 km²).
The straight-line distance from Johannesburg to Manila is 11,004 km (6,838 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~13h 27m.
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