Nairobi
696 km²
Shenzhen
1,997 km²
Kenya
China
Area Comparison
Nairobi is 2.9x smaller than Shenzhen
Population Comparison
Nairobi has 3.7x fewer people than Shenzhen
Shenzhen is significantly larger, covering 2.9 times the area of Nairobi. Shenzhen spans 1,997 km² (771 mi²) while Nairobi covers 696 km² (269 mi²) — a difference of 1,301 km². You could fit Nairobi inside Shenzhen approximately 2 times.
To put Nairobi's size in perspective, its area of 696 km² is about 1.1x smaller than New York City. Meanwhile, Shenzhen at 1,997 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper).
Nairobi's footprint is roughly about 97,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. For Shenzhen, that's about 280,000 American football fields, 34 times the area of Manhattan, or 19 times the area of Paris.
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".
Known as "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi covers 696 km² with a population of 4.7 million. The city was established in 1899. Nairobi is known for Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Nairobi Commuter Rail.
Nairobi is the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries.
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.
Nicknamed "China's Silicon Valley", Shenzhen has an area of 1,997 km² and is home to 17.6 million people. It was established in 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 Shenzhen metropolitan area covers 1,997 km², which is 2.9x larger than greater Nairobi at 696 km². The Shenzhen metro area is also more populous, with 17.6 million people compared to 4.7 million.
Nairobi has a population density of 6,796 people per km² — a densely populated city. Shenzhen, with 8,793 people per km², is a densely populated city. Both cities have comparable density, though Shenzhen is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — Nairobi in Africa versus Shenzhen in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Nairobi has a subtropical highland climate while Shenzhen experiences humid subtropical conditions. Summers are notably different: Shenzhen averages 29°C compared to 20°C in Nairobi. When it's noon in Shenzhen, it's 7:00 AM in Nairobi — a 5-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Nairobi fits inside Shenzhen ~2 times
Time Difference
5 hours apart
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).
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 Nairobi to Shenzhen is 8,755 km (5,440 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 48m.
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