Kyoto
828 km²
Osaka
225 km²
Japan
Japan
Area Comparison
Kyoto is 3.7x larger than Osaka
Population Comparison
Kyoto has 1.9x fewer people than Osaka
Yes — Kyoto is 3.7x larger than Osaka by area. Kyoto spans 828 km² (320 mi²) while Osaka covers 225 km² (87 mi²) — a difference of 603 km². You could fit Osaka inside Kyoto approximately 3 times.
To put Kyoto's size in perspective, its area of 828 km² is roughly the same size as New York City. Meanwhile, Osaka at 225 km² is roughly the same size as Amsterdam.
In more relatable units, Kyoto's 828 km² is about 116,000 American football fields, 14 times the area of Manhattan, or 8 times the area of Paris. Osaka works out to about 32,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Monaco, or 66 times the area of Central Park.
Kyoto, officially Kyoto City , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. As of 2020, the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it the ninth-most populous city in Japan. More than half (56.8%) of Kyoto Prefecture's population resides in the city. The city is the cultural anchor of the substantially larger Greater Kyoto, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) home to a census-estimated 3.8 million people.
Known as "Thousand-Year Capital", Kyoto covers 828 km² with a population of 1.5 million. The city was established in 794. Kyoto is known for Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion, Gion geisha district, among other attractions.
More than half of Kyoto Prefecture's entire population lives within Kyoto City itself.
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third-most populous city in Japan, following the special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With an estimated population of 2,816,247 as of October 1, 2025 and a population density of about 12,505 people per square kilometer, it is the largest component of the Keihanshin Metropolitan Area, the second-largest metropolitan area in Japan and the 10th-largest urban…
Nicknamed "Nation's Kitchen", Osaka has an area of 225 km² and is home to 2.8 million people. It was established in 645. Visitors come for Osaka Castle, Dotonbori district, Universal Studios Japan, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Osaka Metro.
Osaka is the third-most populous city in Japan, following the special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama.
Kyoto has a population density of 1,763 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Osaka, with 12,222 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Osaka is dramatically more crowded, with 6.9x the population density.
Size Ratio
Osaka fits inside Kyoto ~3 times
Density Gap
Osaka is 6.9x more densely populated
History
Osaka is ~149 years older
Kyoto covers 828 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Santiago (838 km²), New York (783 km²), Berlin (892 km²), Hamburg (755 km²), or Bangalore (741 km²).
Osaka covers 225 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Amsterdam (219 km²), Boston (232 km²), Helsinki (214 km²), Kuala Lumpur (243 km²), or Buenos Aires (203 km²).
The straight-line distance from Kyoto to Osaka is 43 km (27 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~33m.
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