Melbourne
9,993 km²
San Francisco
121 km²
Australia
USA
Area Comparison
Melbourne is 82.6x larger than San Francisco
Population Comparison
Melbourne has 5.8x more people than San Francisco
Yes — Melbourne is 82.6x larger than San Francisco by area. Melbourne spans 9,993 km² (3,858 mi²) while San Francisco covers 121 km² (47 mi²) — a difference of 9,872 km². You could fit San Francisco inside Melbourne approximately 82 times.
To put Melbourne's size in perspective, its area of 9,993 km² is about 1.6x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, San Francisco at 121 km² is about 1.2x the size of Paris (city proper).
Melbourne's footprint is roughly about 1,400,000 American football fields, 170 times the area of Manhattan, or 95 times the area of Paris — 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.
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second most-populous city in Australia. The city's name generally refers to a 9,993-square-kilometre (3,858 sq mi) area, comprising an urban agglomeration of 31 local government areas. The name is also used to specifically refer to the local government area named City of Melbourne, whose area is centred on the Melbourne central business district and some immediate surrounds.
Melbourne covers 9,993 km² with a population of 5.1 million. The city was established in 1835. Melbourne is known for Federation Square, Flinders Street Station, Melbourne Cricket Ground, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Melbourne Trams & Metro.
Melbourne's metropolitan area spans 9,993 square kilometers across 31 local government areas, making it Australia's second-most-populous city.
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.
Nicknamed "The City by the Bay", San Francisco has an area of 121 km² and is home to 0.9 million people. It was established in 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 Melbourne metropolitan area covers 9,993 km², which is 1.4x larger than greater San Francisco at 6,984 km². The Melbourne metro area is also more populous, with 5.1 million people compared to 4.7 million.
Melbourne has a population density of 508 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. San Francisco, with 7,190 people per km², is a densely populated city. San Francisco is dramatically more crowded, with 14.2x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Melbourne in Oceania versus San Francisco in North America. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Melbourne has a oceanic climate while San Francisco experiences Mediterranean conditions. When it's noon in Melbourne, it's midnight in San Francisco — a 18-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
San Francisco fits inside Melbourne ~82 times
Density Gap
San Francisco is 14.2x more densely populated
Time Difference
18 hours apart
Melbourne covers 9,993 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Xi'an (10,097 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), Sydney (12,368 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), or Chengdu (14,378 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 Melbourne to San Francisco is 12,658 km (7,865 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~15h 23m.
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