Manila
43 km²
Shenzhen
1,997 km²
Philippines
China
Area Comparison
Manila is 46.4x smaller than Shenzhen
Population Comparison
Manila has 9.5x fewer people than Shenzhen
In terms of area, Shenzhen is 46.4x the size of Manila. Shenzhen spans 1,997 km² (771 mi²) while Manila covers 43 km² (17 mi²) — a difference of 1,954 km². You could fit Manila inside Shenzhen approximately 46 times.
To put Manila's size in perspective, its area of 43 km² is about 1.4x smaller than Manhattan. Meanwhile, Shenzhen at 1,997 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper).
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. Shenzhen, by comparison, equals about 280,000 American football fields, 34 times the area of Manhattan, or 19 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.
Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong, bordering Hong Kong to the south, Dongguan to the north, Huizhou to the northeast, and Macau to the southwest. With a population of 17.5 million in 2020, Shenzhen is the third-most-populous city by urban population in China after Shanghai and Beijing.
Also known as "China's Silicon Valley", Shenzhen has an area of 1,997 km² and is home to 17.6 million people. It was established in 1979. Visitors come for Ping An Finance Centre, Window of the World, OCT Loft, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shenzhen Metro.
Shenzhen grew from a small town into China's third-most-populous urban city, hitting 17.5 million residents by 2020
Looking beyond city limits, the Shenzhen metropolitan area covers 1,997 km², which is 3.2x larger than greater Manila at 620 km². The Shenzhen metro area is also more populous, with 17.6 million people compared to 13.9 million.
Manila has a population density of 43,023 people per km² — one of the most densely packed urban areas on Earth. Shenzhen, with 8,793 people per km², is a densely populated city. Manila is dramatically more crowded, with 4.9x the population density.
Both cities are in Asia, but they represent different national approaches to urban development. Manila (Philippines) and Shenzhen (China) offer a fascinating regional contrast.
Manila has a tropical savanna climate while Shenzhen experiences humid subtropical conditions.
Size Ratio
Manila fits inside Shenzhen ~46 times
Density Gap
Manila is 4.9x more densely populated
History
Manila is ~408 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).
Shenzhen covers 1,997 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Ho Chi Minh City (2,061 km²), Tokyo (2,194 km²), Riyadh (1,798 km²), Houston (1,725 km²), or Johannesburg (1,644 km²).
The straight-line distance from Manila to Shenzhen is 1,145 km (712 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~1h 51m.
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