Nairobi
696 km²
Xi'an
10,097 km²
Kenya
People's Republic of China
Area Comparison
Nairobi is 14.5x smaller than Xi'an
Population Comparison
Nairobi has 2.7x fewer people than Xi'an
In terms of area, Xi'an is 14.5x the size of Nairobi. Xi'an spans 10,097 km² (3,898 mi²) while Nairobi covers 696 km² (269 mi²) — a difference of 9,401 km². You could fit Nairobi inside Xi'an approximately 14 times.
To put Nairobi's size in perspective, its area of 696 km² is about 1.1x smaller than New York City. Meanwhile, Xi'an at 10,097 km² is about 1.6x the size of Shanghai.
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 Xi'an, that's about 1,400,000 American football fields, 170 times the area of Manhattan, or 96 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.
Xi'an is the capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the third-most populous city in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populous city in Northwestern China. Its total population was 12.95 million in the 2020 census, including an urban population of 9.28 million.
Nicknamed "Ancient Capital", Xi'an has an area of 10,097 km² and is home to 12.9 million people. Visitors come for Terracotta Army, Xi'an City Wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and much more.
Xi'an's 2020 census recorded 12.95 million residents, making it the most populous city in Northwestern China.
Nairobi has a population density of 6,796 people per km² — a densely populated city. Xi'an, with 1,283 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Nairobi is dramatically more crowded, with 5.3x the population density.
Size Ratio
Nairobi fits inside Xi'an ~14 times
Density Gap
Nairobi is 5.3x more densely populated
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).
Xi'an covers 10,097 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Melbourne (9,993 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), Sydney (12,368 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), or Chengdu (14,378 km²).
The straight-line distance from Nairobi to Xi'an is 8,457 km (5,255 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 27m.
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