Perth
6,417 km²
Shanghai
6,341 km²
Australia
China
Area Comparison
Perth is 1.0x larger than Shanghai
Population Comparison
Perth has 11.6x fewer people than Shanghai
Perth is significantly larger, covering 1.0 times the area of Shanghai. Perth spans 6,417 km² (2,478 mi²) while Shanghai covers 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) — a difference of 76 km².
To put Perth's size in perspective, its area of 6,417 km² is roughly the same size as Shanghai. Meanwhile, Shanghai at 6,341 km² is about 1.5x the size of Los Angeles metro.
Perth's footprint is roughly about 899,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 61 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Shanghai, by comparison, equals about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 times the area of Paris.
Perth is the capital city of Western Australia. It is the fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth as of 2023. The world's most isolated major city by certain criteria, Perth is part of the South West Land Division of Western Australia, with most of Perth's metropolitan area on the Swan Coastal Plain between the Indian Ocean and the Darling Scarp.
Known as "City of Light", Perth covers 6,417 km² with a population of 2.1 million. The city was established in 1829. Perth is known for Swan River, Kings Park, Cottesloe Beach, among other attractions.
Perth is considered the world's most isolated major city by certain criteria, sitting on Australia's west coast.
Shanghai is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. It has a population of 29,558,908 in the urban area as of 2025. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River bisecting the city. Shanghai is a global center for finance, business and economics, research, science and technology, manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and culture. The Port of Shanghai is the world's busiest container port.
Often called "Pearl of the Orient", Shanghai has an area of 6,341 km² and is home to 24.9 million people. It was established in 1291. Visitors come for The Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shanghai Metro.
Shanghai's urban population reached 29.5 million in 2025, making it the most populous urban area in all of China.
Perth has a population density of 333 people per km² — a low-density, sprawling urban area. Shanghai, with 3,922 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Shanghai is dramatically more crowded, with 11.8x the population density.
Density Gap
Shanghai is 11.8x more densely populated
History
Shanghai is ~538 years older
Perth covers 6,417 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Shanghai (6,341 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), Istanbul (5,461 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), or Melbourne (9,993 km²).
Shanghai covers 6,341 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Perth (6,417 km²), Istanbul (5,461 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), or Dubai (4,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from Perth to Shanghai is 7,051 km (4,381 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~8h 48m.
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