Johannesburg
1,644 km²
Melbourne
9,993 km²
South Africa
Australia
Area Comparison
Johannesburg is 6.1x smaller than Melbourne
Population Comparison
Johannesburg has 1.1x fewer people than Melbourne
Melbourne is significantly larger, covering 6.1 times the area of Johannesburg. Melbourne spans 9,993 km² (3,858 mi²) while Johannesburg covers 1,644 km² (635 mi²) — a difference of 8,349 km². You could fit Johannesburg inside Melbourne approximately 6 times.
To put Johannesburg's size in perspective, its area of 1,644 km² is roughly the same size as London. Meanwhile, Melbourne at 9,993 km² is about 1.6x the size of Shanghai.
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. For Melbourne, that's about 1,400,000 American football fields, 170 times the area of Manhattan, or 95 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.
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second most-populous city in Australia. The city's name generally refers to a 9,993-square-kilometre (3,858 sq mi) area, comprising an urban agglomeration of 31 local government areas. The name is also used to specifically refer to the local government area named City of Melbourne, whose area is centred on the Melbourne central business district and some immediate surrounds.
Melbourne has an area of 9,993 km² and is home to 5.1 million people. Its history stretches back to 1835. Visitors come for Federation Square, Flinders Street Station, Melbourne Cricket Ground, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Melbourne Trams & Metro.
Melbourne's metropolitan area spans 9,993 square kilometers across 31 local government areas, making it Australia's second-most-populous city.
Johannesburg has a population density of 2,920 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Melbourne, with 508 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Johannesburg is dramatically more crowded, with 5.7x the population density.
Size Ratio
Johannesburg fits inside Melbourne ~6 times
Density Gap
Johannesburg is 5.7x more densely populated
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).
Melbourne covers 9,993 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Xi'an (10,097 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), Sydney (12,368 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), or Chengdu (14,378 km²).
The straight-line distance from Johannesburg to Melbourne is 10,327 km (6,417 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~12h 39m.
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