Home / Converters / Marla and Kanal Converter
Marla and Kanal Converter
Convert land area between marla, kanal, square feet, square yards, square metres and acres. The marla size is a setting you choose, because it differs between authorities, so confirm your local definition first.
What a marla and a kanal are
The marla and the kanal are traditional land-area units used in parts of South Asia, notably in property listings in Pakistan and northern India. By long convention 1 kanal equals 20 marla. The size of the marla itself, however, is not universal. The traditional marla equals one square rod, or 272.25 square feet (30.25 square yards), while some housing schemes and municipalities use a marla of 225 or 250 square feet.
That is why this converter makes the marla size an explicit choice instead of hiding one number inside the tool. Everything else is unambiguous: a square yard is 9 square feet, an acre is 43,560 square feet, and a square foot is 0.09290304 m².
How the choice changes the answer
| Marla size | 1 kanal | Marla per acre | Kanal per acre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 272.25 sq ft | 5,445 sq ft | 160 | 8 |
| 250 sq ft | 5,000 sq ft | 174.24 | 8.712 |
| 225 sq ft | 4,500 sq ft | 193.6 | 9.68 |
With the traditional 272.25 sq ft marla, an acre is exactly 160 marla or 8 kanal. With a 225 sq ft marla the same acre is 9.68 kanal. A listing that says "1 kanal" therefore describes about 20% more land under the 272.25 convention than under the 225 convention.
Confirm the definition before you rely on it
Land measures carry legal and financial weight. Before buying, selling or paying fees on a plot, check the area in the title documents, the revenue record or the development authority's plan, and ask which marla size they use. Ask for the measurement in square feet or square metres, which cannot be misread. A converter cannot confirm legal boundaries, built-up area or registered area.
Compare plots of different sizes in square feet or square metres, not in marla, whenever the marla basis might differ between listings.
Everyday conversions and tips
- At 272.25 sq ft, 5 marla is 1,361.25 sq ft and 10 marla is 2,722.5 sq ft.
- Square yards divided by 30.25 give marla under the traditional definition.
- Dimensions are different from area: a 25 ft by 50 ft plot is 1,250 sq ft, which is 4.59 marla at 272.25 sq ft.
- For other area units, use the general area converter.
Fractions are common in listings, such as 7.5 marla or 1 kanal 5 marla. For the second form, convert it to a single unit first: 1 kanal 5 marla is 25 marla, which is 6,806.25 sq ft at the traditional size. Enter 25 as marla, or enter 1.25 as kanal, to get the same result.
When two plots are described in different units, convert both to square feet or square metres, then compare. This avoids hidden differences in the marla basis and makes price per unit area a fair comparison.
Worked example
A plot is advertised as 10 marla. Using a marla of 272.25 square feet, how large is it in square feet?
Inputs
| Area | 10 |
|---|---|
| From | Marla (marla) |
| To | Square feet (sq ft) |
| Marla size to use | 272.25 sq ft (30.25 sq yd, one square rod) |
Result
10 marla = 2,722.5 sq ft, with 1 marla = 272.25 sq ft.
| Kanal (kanal) | 0.5 |
|---|---|
| Square yards (sq yd) | 302.5 |
| Square metres (m²) | 252.928526 |
| Acres (acre) | 0.0625 |
| Marla size used | 272.25 sq ft (30.25 sq yd) |
| Kanal size used | 5,445 sq ft (20 marla) |
- The marla is not one fixed size. Confirm the definition used in your title deed, scheme or local authority before relying on any result.
Accuracy note: Factors use the standard definitions stated on this page. Results are rounded for display; for engineering or legal work use the full-precision factors.
Frequently asked questions
How many marla are in a kanal?
By the usual convention a kanal is 20 marla, whichever marla size is used.
How many square feet are in a marla?
It depends on the definition. The traditional marla is 272.25 square feet, and other sizes in use include 250 and 225 square feet. Choose the one that matches your documents.
How many kanal are in an acre?
With a 272.25 sq ft marla, an acre (43,560 sq ft) is 160 marla or 8 kanal. With other marla sizes the number of kanal per acre is different.
How many square metres is a kanal?
At 272.25 sq ft per marla, one kanal is 5,445 sq ft or about 505.86 square metres.
Why does the converter ask for the marla size?
Because the unit is not standardised everywhere. Making it a visible setting avoids silently using the wrong value for your area.
Related calculators
More conversion references
For a marla to square foot reference page beyond this tool, see PakMath a marla to square foot reference page. PakMath is a sister project of Adzita.