Montreal
498 km²
Nairobi
696 km²
Canada
Kenya
Area Comparison
Montreal is 1.4x smaller than Nairobi
Population Comparison
Montreal has 2.7x fewer people than Nairobi
Yes — Nairobi is 1.4x larger than Montreal by area. Nairobi spans 696 km² (269 mi²) while Montreal covers 498 km² (192 mi²) — a difference of 198 km².
To put Montreal's size in perspective, its area of 498 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Seoul. Meanwhile, Nairobi at 696 km² is about 1.1x smaller than New York City.
In more relatable units, Montreal's 498 km² is about 70,000 American football fields, 150 times the area of Central Park, or 8 times the area of Manhattan. Nairobi, by comparison, equals about 97,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 times the area of Paris.
Montreal is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest in Canada, and the eighth-largest in North America. Founded in 1642 as Ville-Marie, or "City of Mary", it now takes its name from Mount Royal, the triple-peaked mountain around which the early settlement was built. The city is centred on the Island of Montreal and a few, much smaller, peripheral islands, the largest of which is Île Bizard.
Known as "MTL", Montreal covers 498 km² with a population of 1.8 million. The city was established in 1642. Montreal is known for Mount Royal, Notre-Dame Basilica, Old Montreal, among other attractions.
Montreal was founded in 1642 as Ville-Marie, meaning 'City of Mary', before adopting its current name from Mount Royal.
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya, located in the south-central part of the country. As of 2024, it has a population of 4.8 million and a metropolitan population of 5.7 million, making it the 11th most populous city in Africa. Nicknamed the "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi is uniquely notable for being the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries. Its name originates from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, meaning "place of cool waters".
Often called "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi has an area of 696 km² and is home to 4.7 million people. Its history stretches back to 1899. Visitors come for Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Nairobi Commuter Rail.
Nairobi is the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries.
Montreal has a population density of 3,534 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Nairobi, with 6,796 people per km², is a densely populated city. Nairobi is noticeably denser, packing 1.9 times more people per square kilometer.
Density Gap
Nairobi is 1.9x more densely populated
History
Montreal is ~257 years older
Montreal covers 498 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Prague (496 km²), Warsaw (517 km²), Budapest (525 km²), Oslo (454 km²), or Auckland (559 km²).
Nairobi covers 696 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Tehran (730 km²), Jakarta (662 km²), Singapore (733 km²), Bangalore (741 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Montreal to Nairobi is 11,683 km (7,260 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~14h 15m.
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