City Map Compare/Shanghai vs Tel Aviv
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5 km
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Shanghai

6,341 km²

Tel Aviv

52 km²

Shanghai vs Tel Aviv - City Size Comparison

Shanghai vs Tel Aviv - City Size Comparison

Shanghai

China

Area6,341 km²
Population24.87M
Density3,922 /km²
Elevation4 m
Metro Pop.28.5M
Founded1291
Climatehumid subtropical
Tel Aviv

Israel

Area52 km²
Population0.47M
Density9,038 /km²
Elevation5 m
Founded1909

Area Comparison

Shanghai is 121.9x larger than Tel Aviv

Population Comparison

Shanghai has 52.9x more people than Tel Aviv

Is Shanghai Bigger Than Tel Aviv?

In terms of area, Shanghai is 121.9x the size of Tel Aviv. Shanghai spans 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) while Tel Aviv covers 52 km² (20 mi²) — a difference of 6,289 km². You could fit Tel Aviv inside Shanghai approximately 121 times.

To put Shanghai's size in perspective, its area of 6,341 km² is about 1.5x the size of Los Angeles metro. Meanwhile, Tel Aviv at 52 km² is about 1.1x smaller than Manhattan.

Shanghai's footprint is roughly about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Tel Aviv, by comparison, equals about 7,300 American football fields, 110 times the area of Vatican City, or 26 times the area of Monaco.

About Shanghai

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.

Known as "Pearl of the Orient", Shanghai covers 6,341 km² with a population of 24.9 million. The city was established in 1291. Shanghai is known for The Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Shanghai Metro.

Shanghai's urban population reached 29.5 million in 2025, making it the most populous urban area in all of China.

About Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv, officially Tel Aviv-Yafo, and also known as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a population of 494,900, it is the economic and technological center of the country and a global high-tech hub. If East Jerusalem is considered part of Israel, Tel Aviv is the country's second-most-populous city, after Jerusalem; if not, Tel Aviv is the most populous city, ahead of West Jerusalem.

Often called "Tel Aviv-Jaffa", Tel Aviv has an area of 52 km² and is home to 0.5 million people. It was established in 1909. Visitors come for White City Bauhaus architecture, Jaffa Old City, Carmel Market, and much more.

Tel Aviv is the economic and technological center of Israel and a global high-tech hub on the Mediterranean coast.

Population Density

Shanghai has a population density of 3,922 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Tel Aviv, with 9,038 people per km², is a densely populated city. Tel Aviv is noticeably denser, packing 2.3 times more people per square kilometer.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Tel Aviv fits inside Shanghai ~121 times

Density Gap

Tel Aviv is 2.3x more densely populated

History

Shanghai is ~618 years older

Cities Similar in Size to Shanghai

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).

Cities Similar in Size to Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv covers 52 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Manila (43 km²), Athens (39 km²), Zurich (88 km²), Copenhagen (91 km²), or Lisbon (100 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Shanghai actually bigger than Tel Aviv?
Shanghai is 121.9 times larger than Tel Aviv by area. Shanghai covers 6,341 km² while Tel Aviv spans 52 km², a difference of 6,289 km².
How many times does Tel Aviv fit inside Shanghai?
Tel Aviv (52 km²) fits inside Shanghai (6,341 km²) approximately 121 times. That means Shanghai is 121.9x the area of Tel Aviv.
What is the population difference between Shanghai and Tel Aviv?
Shanghai has approximately 24.9 million people, while Tel Aviv has about 0.5 million. Shanghai has 24.4 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Shanghai or Tel Aviv?
Tel Aviv is more densely populated with 9,038 people per km², compared to 3,922 people per km².
Which city is older, Shanghai or Tel Aviv?
Shanghai is older, founded around 1291, while Tel Aviv was established around 1909 — a difference of about 618 years.
How does the map comparison work?
Our synchronized map comparison tool displays both cities at the same zoom level. When you zoom in or out on one map, the other automatically adjusts to maintain the same scale, allowing you to directly compare the relative sizes of both cities.
Can I compare other cities?
Yes! Use the city selectors at the top of the page to choose any two cities from our database of 50+ major cities worldwide, or enter custom coordinates for any location.

Distance Between Shanghai and Tel Aviv

The straight-line distance from Shanghai to Tel Aviv is 7,951 km (4,941 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~9h 51m.

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