Melbourne
9,993 km²
Seoul
605 km²
Australia
South Korea
Area Comparison
Melbourne is 16.5x larger than Seoul
Population Comparison
Melbourne has 1.9x fewer people than Seoul
In terms of area, Melbourne is 16.5x the size of Seoul. Melbourne spans 9,993 km² (3,858 mi²) while Seoul covers 605 km² (234 mi²) — a difference of 9,388 km². You could fit Seoul inside Melbourne approximately 16 times.
To put Melbourne's size in perspective, its area of 9,993 km² is about 1.6x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Seoul at 605 km² is about 1.3x smaller than New York City.
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. Seoul, by comparison, equals about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 times the area of Manhattan.
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.
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea, and the largest city in the whole of Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Paris, and London, and hosts more than half of South Korea's population.
Seoul has an area of 605 km² and is home to 9.8 million people. The city dates back to 18 BC. Visitors come for Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gangnam district, Myeongdong shopping, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Seoul Metro.
Seoul Metropolitan Area emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind only NYC, Tokyo, LA, Paris, and London.
Looking beyond city limits, the Seoul metropolitan area covers 11,704 km², which is 1.2x larger than greater Melbourne at 9,993 km². The Seoul metro area is also more populous, with 25.5 million people compared to 5.1 million.
Melbourne has a population density of 508 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Seoul, with 16,149 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Seoul is dramatically more crowded, with 31.8x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Melbourne in Oceania versus Seoul in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Melbourne has a oceanic climate while Seoul experiences humid continental conditions.
Size Ratio
Seoul fits inside Melbourne ~16 times
Density Gap
Seoul is 31.8x more densely populated
History
Seoul is ~1,853 years older
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).
Seoul covers 605 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chicago (606 km²), Madrid (604 km²), Mumbai (603 km²), Toronto (630 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Melbourne to Seoul is 8,583 km (5,333 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 36m.
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