Manila
43 km²
Rio de Janeiro
1,221 km²
Philippines
Brazil
Area Comparison
Manila is 28.4x smaller than Rio de Janeiro
Population Comparison
Manila has 3.6x fewer people than Rio de Janeiro
Yes — Rio de Janeiro is 28.4x larger than Manila by area. Rio de Janeiro spans 1,221 km² (471 mi²) while Manila covers 43 km² (17 mi²) — a difference of 1,178 km². You could fit Manila inside Rio de Janeiro approximately 28 times.
To put Manila's size in perspective, its area of 43 km² is about 1.4x smaller than Manhattan. Meanwhile, Rio de Janeiro at 1,221 km² is about 1.3x smaller than London.
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. Rio de Janeiro, by comparison, equals about 171,000 American football fields, 21 times the area of Manhattan, or 12 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.
Rio de Janeiro, also known simply as Rio, is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the second-most-populous city in Brazil after São Paulo and the sixth-most-populous city in the Americas.
Also known as "Cidade Maravilhosa", Rio de Janeiro has an area of 1,221 km² and is home to 6.8 million people. It was established in 1565. Visitors come for Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana beach, and much more. Getting around is easy with the MetrôRio.
Rio de Janeiro is the second-most-populous city in Brazil after São Paulo and the sixth-most-populous in the Americas.
Looking beyond city limits, the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area covers 6,744 km², which is 10.9x larger than greater Manila at 620 km². The Manila metro area is also more populous, with 13.9 million people compared to 13.5 million.
Manila has a population density of 43,023 people per km² — one of the most densely packed urban areas on Earth. Rio de Janeiro, with 5,528 people per km², is a densely populated city. Manila is dramatically more crowded, with 7.8x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Manila in Asia versus Rio de Janeiro in South America. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Both cities share a tropical savanna climate, though local geography creates distinct microclimates in each. When it's noon in Manila, it's 1:00 AM in Rio de Janeiro — a 11-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Manila fits inside Rio de Janeiro ~28 times
Density Gap
Manila is 7.8x more densely populated
Time Difference
11 hours apart
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).
Rio de Janeiro covers 1,221 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Antonio (1,209 km²), Lagos (1,172 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), Los Angeles (1,302 km²), or Hong Kong (1,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from Manila to Rio de Janeiro is 18,110 km (11,253 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~21h 48m.
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