One flat is listed at 1,100 sq ft, the other at 100 square metres, and the prices are quoted per unit of area in two different systems. Before you decide which one is the better deal, you need to put both on the same scale. Here is the conversion that does it, and the one mistake that makes most people get it wrong.
Why the same flat can be described in two units
The square foot is simply the area of a square whose sides each measure one foot. It is still the everyday unit for property in India, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Hong Kong and several other countries. Metric documents, on the other hand, use the square metre. So it is common to see one listing, brochure or document in square feet and another in square metres for homes that are actually very close in size.
The two numbers you need
The exact definition is 1 square foot = 0.09290304 square metre. Flip it around and you get the number you will use most often: 1 square metre = about 10.764 square feet.
In plain language:
- To go from square metres to square feet, multiply by 10.764
- To go from square feet to square metres, multiply by 0.0929 (or divide by 10.764)
A 100 m² flat is therefore about 1,076.4 sq ft, and a 12 ft by 10 ft bedroom (120 sq ft) is about 11.15 m².
A real comparison: flat A vs flat B
Say you are choosing between two flats:
- Flat A: 1,100 sq ft at ₹7,500 per sq ft, so a total of ₹82,50,000 (₹82.5 lakh)
- Flat B: 100 m² at ₹85,000 per m², so a total of ₹85,00,000 (₹85 lakh)
At first glance, ₹85,000 looks wildly more expensive than ₹7,500, but the two numbers are not measuring the same thing. Convert flat B into square feet:
- Area: 100 × 10.764 = about 1,076 sq ft
- Price per sq ft: ₹85,000 ÷ 10.764 = about ₹7,897
Now the picture is clear. Flat B is about 24 sq ft smaller than flat A, yet it costs ₹2.5 lakh more in total and roughly ₹397 more per square foot. You can also run the comparison the other way: flat A works out to ₹7,500 × 10.764 = about ₹80,730 per m², against ₹85,000 for flat B. Same conclusion, whichever unit you choose, as long as you use only one.
The mistakes that skew the comparison
Using the length factor instead of the area factor
One metre is about 3.28 feet, so many people multiply square metres by 3.28. That gives 100 m² = 328 sq ft, which is badly wrong. Area is length times width, so the factor has to be squared: 3.28 × 3.28 is about 10.76. The same trap exists with yards: 1 square yard is 9 square feet, not 3, even though 1 yard is 3 feet in length.
Converting the price in the wrong direction
A price per square metre is always the bigger number, because a square metre is the bigger unit. To get a price per square metre from a price per square foot, multiply by 10.764. To get a price per square foot from a price per square metre, divide by 10.764. If your converted price per square metre comes out smaller than the price per square foot, you went the wrong way.
Assuming both listings measure the same space
Square footage in real estate is not always measured the same way. Measurement practices range from laser devices to corner to corner calculations, and in some markets the listed figure is adjusted depending on which parts of the home are counted (heated vs unheated space, for example). Before comparing prices per square foot, check what each listed area actually includes.
For land, go one step further
If you are looking at a plot rather than a flat, the acre is the next unit up: 1 acre = exactly 43,560 sq ft, so divide square feet by 43,560 to get acres. For metric land records, the 7/12 Calculator converts hectares, ares and square metres into acres, gunthas and square feet in one go.
Keep 10.764 in your notes app before your next property visit. It is the only number you need to make two listings speak the same language.
