Johannesburg
1,644 km²
Shanghai
6,341 km²
South Africa
China
Area Comparison
Johannesburg is 3.9x smaller than Shanghai
Population Comparison
Johannesburg has 5.2x fewer people than Shanghai
In terms of area, Shanghai is 3.9x the size of Johannesburg. Shanghai spans 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) while Johannesburg covers 1,644 km² (635 mi²) — a difference of 4,697 km². You could fit Johannesburg inside Shanghai approximately 3 times.
To put Johannesburg's size in perspective, its area of 1,644 km² is roughly the same size as London. Meanwhile, Shanghai at 6,341 km² is about 1.5x the size of Los Angeles metro.
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. Shanghai, by comparison, equals about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 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.
Shanghai is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. It has a population of 29,558,908 in the urban area as of 2025. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River bisecting the city. Shanghai is a global center for finance, business and economics, research, science and technology, manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and culture. The Port of Shanghai is the world's busiest container port.
Nicknamed "Pearl of the Orient", Shanghai has an area of 6,341 km² and is home to 24.9 million people. The city dates back to 1291. Visitors come for The Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shanghai Metro.
Shanghai's urban population reached 29.5 million in 2025, making it the most populous urban area in all of China.
Johannesburg has a population density of 2,920 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Shanghai, with 3,922 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Both cities have comparable density, though Shanghai is slightly more compact.
Size Ratio
Johannesburg fits inside Shanghai ~3 times
Density Gap
Shanghai is 1.3x more densely populated
History
Shanghai is ~595 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).
Shanghai covers 6,341 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Perth (6,417 km²), Istanbul (5,461 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), or Dubai (4,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from Johannesburg to Shanghai is 11,781 km (7,321 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~14h 22m.
Want to explore more? Compare city sizes for any two cities worldwide, or share your location live with friends.