Kuala Lumpur or Manila: which is better?
World city: head-to-head comparison
Manila wins on more indicators: 2 of 5 against 1.
- Climate and risks: Manila 1:2
All indicators weigh the same. This is a score based on data, not advice on where to live: different people have different circumstances.
Kuala Lumpur
Indicator
Manila
Population
no winnerCity population
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
1,453,975 people
GeoNames snapshot (all-the-cities 3.1.0 package, 2022), exact date not stated
1,600,000 people
GeoNames snapshot (all-the-cities 3.1.0 package, 2022), exact date not stated
Urban centre population
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
8,413,206 people
2025
25,921,189 people
2025
Urban centre area
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
1,340 km²
2025
2,555 km²
2025
Urban centre density
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
6,279 people per km²
2025
10,145 people per km²
2025
Urban centre population growth, 2015–2025
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
25.1 %
2015–2025
14.8 %
2015–2025
Climate and risks
Better: Manila (1 : 2)Hot days (max ≥ +30 °C)
lower is better
✗346 days per year
2016-20254% higher
✓333 days per year
2016-20254% lower
Frost days (min ≤ −10 °C)
tie
0 days per year
2016-2025
0 days per year
2016-2025
Severe frost (min ≤ −20 °C)
tie
0.0 days per year
2016-2025
0.0 days per year
2016-2025
Ice days (max ≤ 0 °C)
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
0 days per year
2016-2025
0 days per year
2016-2025
Heating degree days
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
0 °C·days per year
2016-2025
0 °C·days per year
2016-2025
Cooling degree days
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
3,856 °C·days per year
2016-2025
4,054 °C·days per year
2016-2025
Daylight on December 21
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
11.9 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
11.3 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
Daylight on June 21
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
12.3 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
13.0 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
Air humidity
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
81 %
2021-2025
76 %
2021-2025
Muggy days (dew point ≥ +20 °C)
lower is better
✗365 days per year
2021-20253% higher
✓353 days per year
2021-20253% lower
Distance to the sea
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
39 km
2006-2025
4 km
2006-2025
Earthquakes M4.5+ within 100 km
lower is better
✓0.00 per year
2006-2025
✗8.00 per year
2006-2025
Strongest earthquake in the period
no data for one of the places
no data
6.3 magnitude
2006-2025
A winner is named only for indicators with a known “better / worse” direction. Population and other neutral indicators are shown without a winner. Outdated and missing values are not counted. Details for each place: Kuala Lumpur, Manila.