Kuala Lumpur
243 km²
Manila
43 km²
Malaysia
Philippines
Area Comparison
Kuala Lumpur is 5.7x larger than Manila
Population Comparison
Kuala Lumpur has 1.1x more people than Manila
In terms of area, Kuala Lumpur is 5.7x the size of Manila. Kuala Lumpur spans 243 km² (94 mi²) while Manila covers 43 km² (17 mi²) — a difference of 200 km². You could fit Manila inside Kuala Lumpur approximately 5 times.
To put Kuala Lumpur's size in perspective, its area of 243 km² is about 1.1x the size of Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Manila at 43 km² is about 1.4x smaller than Manhattan.
Picture Kuala Lumpur another way: its area is large enough to fit about 34,000 American football fields, 120 times the area of Monaco, or 71 times the area of Central Park. For Manila, that's about 6,000 American football fields, 88 times the area of Vatican City, or 21 times the area of Monaco.
Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a federal territory of Malaysia. It is the most populous city in the country, covering an area of 243 km2 (94 sq mi) with a population of 2,075,600 as of 2024. Greater Kuala Lumpur, which itself includes the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 8.8 million people as of 2024. It is among the fastest growing metropolitan regions in Southeast Asia, in terms of both population and economic development.
Known as "KL", Kuala Lumpur covers 243 km² with a population of 2.0 million. The city was established in 1857. Kuala Lumpur is known for Petronas Twin Towers, Batu Caves, Merdeka 118, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the RapidKL (LRT, MRT & Monorail).
Kuala Lumpur packs 2.07 million people into just 243 km2, making it Malaysia's most populous city by far
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 1,902,590 people. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on the island of Luzon, it is classified as a highly urbanized city. With 44,935 inhabitants per square kilometer (116,380/sq mi), Manila is one of the world's most densely populated cities proper.
Often called "Pearl of the Orient", Manila has an area of 43 km² and is home to 1.9 million people. It was established in 1571. Visitors come for Intramuros walled city, Rizal Park, Manila Bay, and much more. Getting around is easy with the LRT & MRT Manila.
Manila has 44,935 inhabitants per square kilometer, making it one of the world's most densely populated cities proper.
Looking beyond city limits, the Kuala Lumpur metropolitan area covers 2,793 km², which is 4.5x larger than greater Manila at 620 km². The Manila metro area is also more populous, with 13.9 million people compared to 8.4 million.
Kuala Lumpur has a population density of 8,148 people per km² — a densely populated city. Manila, with 43,023 people per km², is one of the most densely packed urban areas on Earth. Manila is dramatically more crowded, with 5.3x the population density.
Both cities are in Asia, but they represent different national approaches to urban development. Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Manila (Philippines) offer a fascinating regional contrast.
Kuala Lumpur has a tropical rainforest climate while Manila experiences tropical savanna conditions.
Size Ratio
Manila fits inside Kuala Lumpur ~5 times
Density Gap
Manila is 5.3x more densely populated
History
Manila is ~286 years older
Kuala Lumpur covers 243 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Boston (232 km²), Edinburgh (259 km²), Osaka (225 km²), Amsterdam (219 km²), or Taipei (272 km²).
Manila covers 43 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Athens (39 km²), Tel Aviv (52 km²), Zurich (88 km²), Copenhagen (91 km²), or Lisbon (100 km²).
The straight-line distance from Kuala Lumpur to Manila is 2,470 km (1,535 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~3h 24m.
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