Manila
43 km²
San Francisco
121 km²
Philippines
USA
Area Comparison
Manila is 2.8x smaller than San Francisco
Population Comparison
Manila has 2.1x more people than San Francisco
Yes — San Francisco is 2.8x larger than Manila by area. San Francisco spans 121 km² (47 mi²) while Manila covers 43 km² (17 mi²) — a difference of 78 km². You could fit Manila inside San Francisco approximately 2 times.
To put Manila's size in perspective, its area of 43 km² is about 1.4x smaller than Manhattan. Meanwhile, San Francisco at 121 km² is about 1.2x the size of Paris (city proper).
Manila's footprint is roughly about 6,000 American football fields, 88 times the area of Vatican City, or 21 times the area of Monaco — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. San Francisco, by comparison, equals about 17,000 American football fields, 60 times the area of Monaco, or 35 times the area of Central Park.
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.
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with a population of 826,079 in 2025. Among U.S. cities with a population of 300,000 or more, San Francisco is ranked first by per capita income, second by population density, and sixth by aggregate income as of 2023.
Also known as "The City by the Bay", San Francisco has an area of 121 km² and is home to 0.9 million people. The city dates back to 1776. Visitors come for Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Cable cars, and much more. Getting around is easy with the BART & Muni.
San Francisco ranks first by per capita income among all US cities with 300,000+ residents as of 2023.
Looking beyond city limits, the San Francisco metropolitan area covers 6,984 km², which is 11.3x 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. San Francisco, with 7,190 people per km², is a densely populated city. Manila is dramatically more crowded, with 6.0x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Manila in Asia versus San Francisco in North America. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Manila has a tropical savanna climate while San Francisco experiences Mediterranean conditions. Winters differ dramatically: Manila stays around 26°C while San Francisco drops to 10°C. When it's noon in Manila, it's midnight in San Francisco — a 16-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Manila fits inside San Francisco ~2 times
Density Gap
Manila is 6.0x more densely populated
Time Difference
16 hours apart
History
Manila is ~205 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).
San Francisco covers 121 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Vancouver (115 km²), Paris (105 km²), Miami (143 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), or Lisbon (100 km²).
The straight-line distance from Manila to San Francisco is 11,213 km (6,967 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~13h 41m.
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