Manila
43 km²
Nairobi
696 km²
Philippines
Kenya
Area Comparison
Manila is 16.2x smaller than Nairobi
Population Comparison
Manila has 2.6x fewer people than Nairobi
Yes — Nairobi is 16.2x larger than Manila by area. Nairobi spans 696 km² (269 mi²) while Manila covers 43 km² (17 mi²) — a difference of 653 km². You could fit Manila inside Nairobi approximately 16 times.
To put Manila's size in perspective, its area of 43 km² is about 1.4x smaller than Manhattan. Meanwhile, Nairobi at 696 km² is about 1.1x smaller than New York City.
Picture Manila another way: its area is large enough to fit about 6,000 American football fields, 88 times the area of Vatican City, or 21 times the area of Monaco. Nairobi, by comparison, equals about 97,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 times the area of Paris.
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.
Known as "Pearl of the Orient", Manila covers 43 km² with a population of 1.9 million. The city was established in 1571. Manila is known for Intramuros walled city, Rizal Park, Manila Bay, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the LRT & MRT Manila.
Manila has 44,935 inhabitants per square kilometer, making it one of the world's most densely populated cities proper.
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya, located in the south-central part of the country. As of 2024, it has a population of 4.8 million and a metropolitan population of 5.7 million, making it the 11th most populous city in Africa. Nicknamed the "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi is uniquely notable for being the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries. Its name originates from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, meaning "place of cool waters".
Often called "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi has an area of 696 km² and is home to 4.7 million people. It was established in 1899. Visitors come for Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Nairobi Commuter Rail.
Nairobi is the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries.
Looking beyond city limits, the Nairobi metropolitan area covers 696 km², which is 1.1x larger than greater Manila at 620 km². The Manila metro area is also more populous, with 13.9 million people compared to 4.7 million.
Manila has a population density of 43,023 people per km² — one of the most densely packed urban areas on Earth. Nairobi, with 6,796 people per km², is a densely populated city. Manila is dramatically more crowded, with 6.3x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Manila in Asia versus Nairobi in Africa. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Manila has a tropical savanna climate while Nairobi experiences subtropical highland conditions. Summers are notably different: Manila averages 30°C compared to 20°C in Nairobi. When it's noon in Manila, it's 7:00 AM in Nairobi — a 5-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Manila fits inside Nairobi ~16 times
Density Gap
Manila is 6.3x more densely populated
Time Difference
5 hours apart
History
Manila is ~328 years older
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).
Nairobi covers 696 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Tehran (730 km²), Jakarta (662 km²), Singapore (733 km²), Bangalore (741 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Manila to Nairobi is 9,416 km (5,851 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~11h 35m.
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