Karachi
3,527 km²
Lagos
1,172 km²
Pakistan
Nigeria
Area Comparison
Karachi is 3.0x larger than Lagos
Population Comparison
Karachi has 1.0x fewer people than Lagos
Karachi is significantly larger, covering 3.0 times the area of Lagos. Karachi spans 3,527 km² (1,362 mi²) while Lagos covers 1,172 km² (453 mi²) — a difference of 2,355 km². You could fit Lagos inside Karachi approximately 3 times.
To put Karachi's size in perspective, its area of 3,527 km² is about 1.1x smaller than Rhode Island. Meanwhile, Lagos at 1,172 km² is about 1.3x the size of Berlin.
Picture Karachi another way: its area is large enough to fit about 494,000 American football fields, 60 times the area of Manhattan, or 33 times the area of Paris. Lagos, by comparison, equals about 164,000 American football fields, 20 times the area of Manhattan, or 11 times the area of Paris.
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.
Known as "City of Lights", Karachi covers 3,527 km² with a population of 14.9 million. The city was established in 1729. Karachi is known for Port of Karachi, Mazar-e-Quaid mausoleum, Clifton Beach, among other attractions.
Karachi is Pakistan's largest city and the 12th largest in the world, with a population of over 20 million.
Lagos, or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan port city in southwestern Nigeria. As of November 2025, the size of the city's population has been estimated to be between 17 and 21 million residents, making Lagos the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and one of the fastest-growing megacities in the world.
Also known as "Lasgidi", Lagos has an area of 1,172 km² and is home to 15.4 million people. The city dates back to 1472. Visitors come for Victoria Island, Lekki Conservation Centre, Nike Art Gallery, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Lagos Rail (Blue & Red Lines).
Lagos is the most populous urban area on the African continent, with an estimated 17 to 21 million residents as of 2025.
Karachi has a population density of 4,227 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Lagos, with 13,131 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Lagos is dramatically more crowded, with 3.1x the population density.
Size Ratio
Lagos fits inside Karachi ~3 times
Density Gap
Lagos is 3.1x more densely populated
History
Lagos is ~257 years older
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).
Lagos covers 1,172 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Antonio (1,209 km²), Rio de Janeiro (1,221 km²), Hong Kong (1,114 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), or Los Angeles (1,302 km²).
The straight-line distance from Karachi to Lagos is 7,047 km (4,379 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~8h 47m.
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