Marla vs Kanal — Complete Side-by-Side Comparison
1 Kanal = 20 Marla. 1 Marla is 225 sq ft under the standard (post-1947) system used by most Pakistani housing schemes — so 1 Kanal works out to 4,500 sq ft. Some older Lahore and Multan property papers still use the original British Marla of 272.25 sq ft, which puts 1 Kanal at 5,445 sq ft. Both units are still legally valid; which one your paperwork uses is what you need to confirm before signing.
Quick facts
Side-by-side: Marla vs Kanal
| Dimension | Marla | Kanal |
|---|---|---|
| Standard size (post-1947) | 225 sq ft | 4,500 sq ft |
| Standard size (sq yards) | 25 sq yards | 500 sq yards |
| Standard size (metric) | 20.9 m² | 418 m² |
| Original British size | 272.25 sq ft | 5,445 sq ft |
| Relation | 1 Marla = 1/20 Kanal | 1 Kanal = 20 Marla |
| 1 Acre equals | ≈ 160 Marla | ≈ 8 Kanal |
| Typical use | Residential plots, urban lots | Larger residential, commercial, farm sub-plots |
| Common plot sizes | 3, 5, 7, 10, 20 Marla | 1, 2, 4, 8 Kanal |
| Used heavily in | Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, Peshawar | Same regions, larger plots only |
| Word origin | Persian/Urdu — old land area measure | Persian/Urdu — derived from canal-irrigated land |
Marla to Square Feet, Yards, Meters & Kanal
Values below use the standard 225 sq ft Marla. If your property papers reference the original 272.25 sq ft Marla, multiply each row by 1.21 to get the equivalent.
| Marla | Square Feet | Square Yards | Square Meters | Kanal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Marla | 225 sq ft | 25 sq yd | 20.9 m² | 1/20 Kanal |
| 3 Marla | 675 sq ft | 75 sq yd | 62.7 m² | 0.15 Kanal |
| 5 Marla | 1,125 sq ft | 125 sq yd | 104.5 m² | 0.25 Kanal |
| 7 Marla | 1,575 sq ft | 175 sq yd | 146.3 m² | 0.35 Kanal |
| 10 Marla | 2,250 sq ft | 250 sq yd | 209 m² | 0.5 Kanal |
| 20 Marla | 4,500 sq ft | 500 sq yd | 418 m² | 1 Kanal |
| 40 Marla | 9,000 sq ft | 1,000 sq yd | 836 m² | 2 Kanal |
Need a specific value? Use our Pakistan Area Converter for instant conversions between Marla, Kanal, square feet, square yards, and square meters.
The two-system trap to know before you buy
Pakistan inherited two different Marla standards from the British colonial land-survey system, and both are still in legal use:
- ·Standard / DC Marla — 225 sq ft. Used in DC rate notifications, most modern housing schemes (DHA, Bahria, CDA sectors, Cantt boards), and current Zameen / Graana listings. This is the default to assume unless told otherwise.
- ·Original British Marla — 272.25 sq ft. Still encoded in older patwari records, parts of Lahore's Walled City, inner Multan, and some Faisalabad rural conversions. A "5 Marla" plot under this system is 1,361.25 sq ft — 236 sq ft larger than the standard.
What to do: before signing any sale agreement, ask the sub-registrar (Sub-Registrar of Conveyances) or the patwari which Marla standard the fard-e-malkiyat (ownership record) uses. The answer is on the document — but it isn't always labeled clearly. The 245 sq ft difference per Marla compounds fast: on a 10-Marla plot, that's 2,450 sq ft of disputed area.
Where Marla & Kanal are used
Both units are dominant in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Sindh and Balochistan use square yards or local units (Jerib, Bigha) more often. Inside the Marla/Kanal regions, which standard applies depends on the city and housing scheme.
Lahore
PunjabMarla + Kanal are the dominant units. DHA, Bahria, Cantt, and Model Town all list plots in Marla (residential) and Kanal (larger). Older inner-city plots may use the 272.25 sq ft original Marla.
Islamabad / Rawalpindi
ICT / PunjabCDA sectors use Marla + Kanal but always at the standard 225 sq ft value. CDA's official rate book is the reference.
Faisalabad
PunjabStandard Marla (225 sq ft) for urban residential; Kanal common in suburban housing schemes like Eden and Citi Housing.
Peshawar
KPMarla used widely for plots; Kanal less common (larger plots are usually quoted in Jerib in rural KP).
Multan, Bahawalpur
PunjabStandard Marla in housing schemes; older parts of the city still use the original British Marla.
Karachi
SindhSquare yards are the dominant unit (120, 240, 500 sq yd plots). Marla and Kanal are rarely used outside Bahria and DHA City extensions.
How big is a 5 Marla plot really?
A typical 5 Marla plot under the standard system is 1,125 sq ft — roughly a 25 × 45 ft rectangle. That's a 3-bedroom single- storey house with a small front lawn (covered area ~900 sq ft after setbacks).
Under the original British Marla, the same "5 Marla" plot is 1,361 sq ft — a 25 × 54 ft rectangle. That's an extra 236 sq ft, enough for a fourth bedroom or a wider drive.
Compare to 1 Kanal: 4,500 sq ft (standard) or 5,445 sq ft (original) — large enough for a double-storey house with a 35-ft front lawn and back garden, the standard luxury-segment plot in DHA Lahore Phase 5–8 and Bahria Town Karachi Sector R.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Marla are in 1 Kanal?
1 Kanal = 20 Marla, regardless of which Marla standard is used. The ratio is fixed — what changes is the underlying square footage of one Marla.
How many square feet is 1 Marla?
Two values are in active use. The standard (post-1947, used in DC rates and most housing schemes) is 225 sq ft. The original British cadastral Marla is 272.25 sq ft and is still encoded in some Lahore/Multan property papers. Always confirm which standard the seller is using before signing.
How many square feet is 1 Kanal?
1 Kanal = 20 Marla. At the standard 225 sq ft/Marla, that is 4,500 sq ft. At the original 272.25 sq ft/Marla, it is 5,445 sq ft. The 945 sq ft difference is roughly the area of a typical bedroom — material when you're buying.
Is Marla bigger than Kanal?
No. Kanal is 20× larger than Marla. People sometimes get them confused because both are South Asian land units used in the same regions. A 1 Kanal plot is roughly the size of 20 Marla plots laid out side by side.
How do I convert Marla to acres?
1 acre ≈ 160 Marla (standard) ≈ 8 Kanal. So a 5 Marla plot is about 1/32 of an acre, and a 1 Kanal plot is 1/8 acre.
Why do property papers sometimes show different Marla sizes?
Pakistan inherited two different land-survey systems — the older British cadastral system (1 Marla = 272.25 sq ft) and a standardised modern system (1 Marla = 225 sq ft) introduced after independence. Both are still legally valid. Government DC rate notifications use the standard 225 sq ft value; older patwari records and some inner-city Lahore plots use the original. This single fact is behind many real-estate disputes — always cross-check with the sub-registrar before purchase.
Which is more common in Pakistan real estate listings?
Marla dominates residential listings (3, 5, 7, 10 Marla are the standard plot sizes in Punjab and KP housing schemes). Kanal is used for larger residential plots and commercial/agricultural sub-plots — most luxury homes in DHA, Bahria, and Model Town are quoted in Kanal.
Are Marla and Kanal used outside Pakistan?
Both units originate from the Punjab region under British colonial land surveying, so they are also used in Indian Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh — usually at slightly different equivalent values. Outside South Asia, they are not used.
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