Karachi
3,527 km²
Shanghai
6,341 km²
Pakistan
China
Area Comparison
Karachi is 1.8x smaller than Shanghai
Population Comparison
Karachi has 1.7x fewer people than Shanghai
Shanghai is significantly larger, covering 1.8 times the area of Karachi. Shanghai spans 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) while Karachi covers 3,527 km² (1,362 mi²) — a difference of 2,814 km².
To put Karachi's size in perspective, its area of 3,527 km² is about 1.1x smaller than Rhode Island. Meanwhile, Shanghai at 6,341 km² is about 1.5x the size of Los Angeles metro.
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. Shanghai, by comparison, equals about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 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.
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. Its history stretches 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.
Karachi has a population density of 4,227 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 Karachi is slightly more compact.
History
Shanghai is ~438 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).
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 Karachi to Shanghai is 5,339 km (3,318 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~6h 47m.
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