Johannesburg
1,644 km²
Oslo
454 km²
South Africa
Norway
Area Comparison
Johannesburg is 3.6x larger than Oslo
Population Comparison
Johannesburg has 6.7x more people than Oslo
In terms of area, Johannesburg is 3.6x the size of Oslo. Johannesburg spans 1,644 km² (635 mi²) while Oslo covers 454 km² (175 mi²) — a difference of 1,190 km². You could fit Oslo inside Johannesburg approximately 3 times.
To put Johannesburg's size in perspective, its area of 1,644 km² is roughly the same size as London. Meanwhile, Oslo at 454 km² is about 1.3x smaller than Seoul.
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. Oslo, by comparison, equals about 64,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Central Park, or 8 times the area of Manhattan.
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.
Oslo is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of 724,290 in 2025, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,110,887 in 2025, and the metropolitan area had an estimated population of 1,546,706 in 2021.
Nicknamed "Tigerstaden", Oslo has an area of 454 km² and is home to 0.7 million people. It was established in 1048. Visitors come for Vigeland Park, Oslo Opera House, Akershus Fortress, and much more.
Oslo is both a county and a municipality, with the city itself home to about 724,000 residents in 2025.
Johannesburg has a population density of 2,920 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Oslo, with 1,586 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Johannesburg is noticeably denser, packing 1.8 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Oslo fits inside Johannesburg ~3 times
Density Gap
Johannesburg is 1.8x more densely populated
History
Oslo is ~838 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).
Oslo covers 454 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Prague (496 km²), Vienna (415 km²), Montreal (498 km²), Denver (401 km²), or Warsaw (517 km²).
The straight-line distance from Johannesburg to Oslo is 9,706 km (6,031 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~11h 55m.
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