Melbourne
9,993 km²
Shenzhen
1,997 km²
Australia
China
Area Comparison
Melbourne is 5.0x larger than Shenzhen
Population Comparison
Melbourne has 3.5x fewer people than Shenzhen
Yes — Melbourne is 5.0x larger than Shenzhen by area. Melbourne spans 9,993 km² (3,858 mi²) while Shenzhen covers 1,997 km² (771 mi²) — a difference of 7,996 km². You could fit Shenzhen inside Melbourne approximately 5 times.
To put Melbourne's size in perspective, its area of 9,993 km² is about 1.6x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Shenzhen at 1,997 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper).
Picture Melbourne another way: its area is large enough to fit about 1,400,000 American football fields, 170 times the area of Manhattan, or 95 times the area of Paris. Shenzhen works out to about 280,000 American football fields, 34 times the area of Manhattan, or 19 times the area of Paris.
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.
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. The city dates back to 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 Melbourne metropolitan area covers 9,993 km², which is 5.0x larger than greater Shenzhen at 1,997 km². The Shenzhen metro area is also more populous, with 17.6 million people compared to 5.1 million.
Melbourne has a population density of 508 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Shenzhen, with 8,793 people per km², is a densely populated city. Shenzhen is dramatically more crowded, with 17.3x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Melbourne in Oceania versus Shenzhen in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Melbourne has a oceanic climate while Shenzhen experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in Melbourne, it's 10:00 AM in Shenzhen — a 2-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Shenzhen fits inside Melbourne ~5 times
Density Gap
Shenzhen is 17.3x more densely populated
History
Melbourne is ~144 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).
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 Melbourne to Shenzhen is 7,448 km (4,628 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~9h 16m.
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