City Map Compare/Lagos vs Santiago
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Lagos

1,172 km²

Santiago

838 km²

Lagos vs Santiago - City Size Comparison

Lagos vs Santiago - City Size Comparison

Lagos

Nigeria

Area1,172 km²
Population15.39M
Density13,131 /km²
Elevation41 m
Metro Pop.21.0M
Founded1472
Climatetropical savanna
Santiago

Chile

Area838 km²
Population6.26M
Density7,470 /km²
Elevation575 m
Founded1541

Area Comparison

Lagos is 1.4x larger than Santiago

Population Comparison

Lagos has 2.5x more people than Santiago

Is Lagos Bigger Than Santiago?

Lagos is significantly larger, covering 1.4 times the area of Santiago. Lagos spans 1,172 km² (453 mi²) while Santiago covers 838 km² (324 mi²) — a difference of 334 km².

To put Lagos's size in perspective, its area of 1,172 km² is about 1.3x the size of Berlin. Meanwhile, Santiago at 838 km² is roughly the same size as Berlin.

Lagos's footprint is roughly about 164,000 American football fields, 20 times the area of Manhattan, or 11 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Santiago, by comparison, equals about 117,000 American football fields, 14 times the area of Manhattan, or 8 times the area of Paris.

About Lagos

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.

Known as "Lasgidi", Lagos covers 1,172 km² with a population of 15.4 million. The city was established in 1472. Lagos is known for Victoria Island, Lekki Conservation Centre, Nike Art Gallery, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is 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.

About Santiago

Santiago, also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. Located in the Chilean Central Valley within the Santiago Basin, between the Andes to the east and the Chilean Coastal Range to the west, it anchors the Santiago Metropolitan Region and its conurbation of Greater Santiago, which comprises more than forty communes and concentrates over a third of the national population and around 45% of Chile's GDP.

Often called "Santiago de Chile", Santiago has an area of 838 km² and is home to 6.3 million people. It was established in 1541. Visitors come for Cerro San Cristóbal, Gran Torre Santiago, Plaza de Armas, and much more.

Santiago sits in the Chilean Central Valley between the Andes and the Coastal Range, anchoring over a third of Chile's population.

Population Density

Lagos has a population density of 13,131 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Santiago, with 7,470 people per km², is a densely populated city. Lagos is noticeably denser, packing 1.8 times more people per square kilometer.

Key Differences at a Glance

Density Gap

Lagos is 1.8x more densely populated

Cities Similar in Size to Lagos

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).

Cities Similar in Size to Santiago

Santiago covers 838 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Kyoto (828 km²), Berlin (892 km²), New York (783 km²), Hamburg (755 km²), or Bangalore (741 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lagos actually bigger than Santiago?
Lagos is 1.4 times larger than Santiago by area. Lagos covers 1,172 km² while Santiago spans 838 km², a difference of 334 km².
How many times does Santiago fit inside Lagos?
Santiago (838 km²) fits inside Lagos (1,172 km²) approximately 1 times. That means Lagos is 1.4x the area of Santiago.
What is the population difference between Lagos and Santiago?
Lagos has approximately 15.4 million people, while Santiago has about 6.3 million. Lagos has 9.1 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Lagos or Santiago?
Lagos is more densely populated with 13,131 people per km², compared to 7,470 people per km².
Which city is older, Lagos or Santiago?
Lagos is older, founded around 1472, while Santiago was established around 1541 — a difference of about 69 years.
How does the map comparison work?
Our synchronized map comparison tool displays both cities at the same zoom level. When you zoom in or out on one map, the other automatically adjusts to maintain the same scale, allowing you to directly compare the relative sizes of both cities.
Can I compare other cities?
Yes! Use the city selectors at the top of the page to choose any two cities from our database of 50+ major cities worldwide, or enter custom coordinates for any location.

Distance Between Lagos and Santiago

The straight-line distance from Lagos to Santiago is 8,948 km (5,560 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~11h 2m.

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