Melbourne
9,993 km²
Tehran
730 km²
Australia
Iran
Area Comparison
Melbourne is 13.7x larger than Tehran
Population Comparison
Melbourne has 1.8x fewer people than Tehran
In terms of area, Melbourne is 13.7x the size of Tehran. Melbourne spans 9,993 km² (3,858 mi²) while Tehran covers 730 km² (282 mi²) — a difference of 9,263 km². You could fit Tehran inside Melbourne approximately 13 times.
To put Melbourne's size in perspective, its area of 9,993 km² is about 1.6x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Tehran at 730 km² is roughly the same size as 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. For Tehran, that's about 102,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 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.
Tehran is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is also the capital of Tehran province and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District. With a population of around 9 million in the city, and 16.8 million in the metropolitan area, Tehran is the most populous city in Iran and West Asia, the second-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East after Cairo, and the 24th-most-populous metropolitan area in the world.
Tehran has an area of 730 km² and is home to 9.1 million people. The city dates back to 1524. Visitors come for Azadi Tower, Milad Tower, Golestan Palace, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Tehran Metro.
Tehran's metropolitan area holds 16.8 million people, making it the second-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East after Cairo.
Looking beyond city limits, the Melbourne metropolitan area covers 9,993 km², which is 4.5x larger than greater Tehran at 2,235 km². The Tehran metro area is also more populous, with 16.0 million people compared to 5.1 million.
Melbourne has a population density of 508 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Tehran, with 12,507 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Tehran is dramatically more crowded, with 24.6x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Melbourne in Oceania versus Tehran in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Melbourne has a oceanic climate while Tehran experiences hot-summer Mediterranean conditions. Summers are notably different: Tehran averages 30°C compared to 21°C in Melbourne. When it's noon in Melbourne, it's 5.5:00 AM in Tehran — a 6.5-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Tehran fits inside Melbourne ~13 times
Density Gap
Tehran is 24.6x more densely populated
Time Difference
6.5 hours apart
History
Tehran is ~311 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).
Tehran covers 730 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Singapore (733 km²), Bangalore (741 km²), Hamburg (755 km²), Nairobi (696 km²), or New York (783 km²).
The straight-line distance from Melbourne to Tehran is 12,613 km (7,837 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~15h 20m.
Want to explore more? Compare city sizes for any two cities worldwide, or share your location live with friends.