Marla, Kanal & Sqft Guide 2026: Lahore vs Modern Pakistani Standards

Pakistani property buyers face real confusion: 1 Marla equals 225 sqft on some sites, 272.25 sqft on others, and Google's own calculator shows yet another value. The difference is not a mistake, it is two legitimate Pakistani land measurement standards used in different regions and eras. Get this wrong on a 10-Marla plot and you are misjudging area by 21 percent, which on a DHA Lahore plot can mean four to five lakh PKR in mispriced cost.

This guide explains both standards, where each applies, and includes the complete Marla, Kanal, sqft, sqyd, and Acre conversion tables so you can compare any plot listing accurately. If you want an instant answer for a specific size, our Marla and Kanal converter handles both modern Pakistani and older Lahore standards across sqft, sqyd, sqm, and Acre.

What is a Marla?

A Marla is a traditional South Asian land measurement unit used across Pakistan, Indian Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and parts of Bangladesh. It was originally derived from a small unit of land suitable for a single dwelling. Today, two main standards are in active use: a modern 225 sqft Marla used by most Pakistani housing societies and government records, and an older 272.25 sqft Marla still seen in certain legacy plots and rural deeds.

Twenty Marla equal one Kanal, no matter which Marla standard is used. Kanal is the next unit up the scale, and beyond Kanal, eight Kanal make one Acre. So one Acre always equals 160 Marla and 36,000 sqft.

How many sqft in 1 Marla?

One Marla equals 225 square feet on the modern Pakistani standard used by FBR, DHA, Bahria Town, and most contemporary housing societies. One Marla equals 272.25 square feet on the older Lahore standard that some legacy plots and rural deeds still use.

The full breakdown:

• Modern Pakistani Marla: 225 sqft, 25 sqyd, 20.9 sqm
• Lahore older Marla: 272.25 sqft, 30.25 sqyd, 25.3 sqm

The 21 percent gap between the two standards is significant on any plot purchase. Always confirm with the seller or check the registered deed which standard applies to a specific listing before signing. Buyers planning to finance the plot via a bank loan should also review common mortgage mistakes to avoid before committing to any agreement, since plot mispricing can cascade into wrong loan calculations.

Modern vs Lahore Marla: which standard does your plot use?

This is the part most online guides miss entirely. The standard that applies to your plot depends on where the plot is located and when its records were created.

Modern 225 sqft Marla applies to:

• DHA (Defence Housing Authority) plots across Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Multan, Bahawalpur, Peshawar, Quetta, and Gujranwala
• Bahria Town plots in all phases and cities
• Park View, Eden, Lake City, Capital Smart City, and most modern private housing societies
• All FBR property tax records, Punjab Land Records Authority entries, Sindh Board of Revenue registrations, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa land records
• Most plots registered after 1980 in major Pakistani cities

Lahore older 272.25 sqft Marla applies to:

• Plots in walled-city Lahore (Inner City) with deeds predating modern standardization
• Some legacy listings in old Lahore neighborhoods like Mozang, Misri Shah, and parts of Garhi Shahu
• Certain rural and agricultural plots in Punjab where Patwari records use the older measure
• Indian Punjab and Haryana plots, where the 272.25 sqft Marla is the standard

To confirm which applies to your specific plot, check the registered deed, ask the seller directly, or look at the housing society's official brochure. Modern listings on Zameen.com and Graana for DHA and Bahria use the 225 sqft Marla without exception.

How many Marla in 1 Kanal?

One Kanal equals 20 Marla universally. Both Pakistani standards agree on this part. Where they differ is the absolute square footage:

• Modern Pakistani Kanal: 20 Marla = 4,500 sqft = 500 sqyd = 418 sqm
• Lahore older Kanal: 20 Marla = 5,445 sqft = 605 sqyd = 506 sqm

Most modern housing societies advertise plots on the modern 4,500 sqft Kanal. So when a DHA Lahore Phase 8 listing says "1 Kanal", expect 4,500 sqft of plot area.

How many Marla in 1 Acre?

One Acre equals 8 Kanal, 160 Marla, 36,000 sqft, 4,000 sqyd, or 4,047 sqm. The Acre is fixed at 36,000 sqft regardless of which Marla standard you use, so the difference between Marla standards does not appear at the Acre level.

Acres are commonly used in Pakistan for agricultural land, large estates, and commercial plots. Residential plots are almost always listed in Marla or Kanal.

Quick reference: how big is 5 Marla, 10 Marla, 1 Kanal?

Modern Pakistani standard (225 sqft per Marla):

Lahore older standard (272.25 sqft per Marla):

How to use Marla in plot pricing

Pakistani property listings almost always quote price per Marla rather than per sqft, which is the global convention. Total plot price is calculated as price per Marla multiplied by Marla count.

Example: a DHA Lahore Phase 5, 5-Marla plot priced at PKR 25 lakh per Marla totals PKR 1.25 crore. The same area expressed as sqft (1,125 sqft) at the equivalent per-sqft rate (PKR 22,222 per sqft) gives the same total but is harder to read for buyers used to per-Marla pricing.

If you are financing the plot through a Pakistani bank, run the total through our mortgage calculator or loan EMI calculator to see exactly what your monthly outflow will look like at current rates. A 1.25 crore plot on a 15-year mortgage at 16 percent is roughly PKR 1.8 lakh per month, which is the number that actually matters for affordability.

When comparing plots across different societies or cities, always convert both to sqft and divide by total price to get a true per-sqft cost. This is the only way to compare a 5-Marla DHA Lahore plot against a 10-Marla DHA Karachi plot on equal terms.

Try our Marla / Kanal Converter to switch instantly between Marla, Kanal, sqft, sqyd, sqm, and Acre. Both modern Pakistani and Lahore standards are supported.

Common mistakes when buying Pakistani plots

Five mistakes I see Pakistani property buyers make repeatedly:

1. Assuming the modern 225 sqft Marla on legacy properties. A walled-city Lahore plot listed at "5 Marla" might actually be 1,361 sqft (Lahore standard) rather than 1,125 sqft (modern). Verify with the deed before signing.

1. Confusing per-Marla price with per-sqft price. A plot at "PKR 5 lakh per Marla" is not comparable to one at "PKR 5,000 per sqft" without conversion. Always normalize to one or the other before comparing.

1. Ignoring useable Marla vs registered Marla. A 10-Marla DHA plot has 2,250 sqft of registered area, but useable area for construction is smaller after setbacks (front lawn, side gaps, common boundary). Check the development authority's setback rules.

1. Cross-province comparisons without standard adjustment. Sindh and Punjab modern listings are both on 225 sqft Marla, so they are directly comparable. But comparing a Pakistani 5-Marla DHA plot to an Indian 5-Marla Mohali plot involves a 21 percent area difference because Indian Punjab uses 272.25 sqft Marla.

1. Indian Marla vs Pakistani Marla in cross-border family transactions. Pakistanis with property in Indian Punjab sometimes assume the same standard. The Indian Marla is 272.25 sqft, not 225 sqft. This matters for inheritance, gifting, and tax calculations.

Bonus tip: many Pakistani buyers stretch their budget to the maximum monthly EMI a bank will approve, then end up house-poor. Our guide on how to save money on loans covers refinancing tricks, extra principal payments, and term-shortening tactics that can save several lakh PKR on a 1.5 crore mortgage over its lifetime.

Indian Marla vs Pakistani Marla

Indian Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh use the 272.25 sqft Marla as the standard. This is identical to the older Lahore Pakistani standard, which makes historical sense given the partition-era land record continuity in both Punjabs.

So a "5-Marla plot in Mohali" (Indian Punjab) is 1,361 sqft, while a "5-Marla plot in DHA Lahore Phase 5" (Pakistani Punjab modern) is 1,125 sqft. Same name, different absolute area by 21 percent.

Indian property portals like housing.com and magicbricks.com default to 272.25 sqft when discussing Marla. Pakistani portals like Zameen.com and Graana use 225 sqft for modern listings but mention 272.25 sqft for legacy properties when relevant.