Meters to Centimeters Converter
Enter a length in meters and the equivalent in centimeters appears immediately. A meter holds exactly 100 centimeters, so the result is the input with the decimal point moved two places to the right.
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Created by the Reeliy Editorial Team. Last updated: Oct 19, 2026
How many centimeters are in a meter?
A meter contains 100 centimeters. The prefix centi- means one hundredth, so a centimeter is 0.01 m by definition and the conversion has no rounding in it.
centimeters = meters × 100To convert back, divide centimeters by 100.
Because the factor is a power of ten, you can do it without a calculator: shift the decimal point two places to the right. 3.6 m becomes 360 cm, and 0.07 m becomes 7 cm.
Meters versus centimeters in practice
The meter is the base unit of length in the International System of Units, defined by fixing the speed of light in vacuum at 299,792,458 meters per second. Centimeters are the natural size for everyday objects that fit in your hand or on a desk: a pencil, a phone, a book.
Room sizes, running tracks and building plans tend to use meters, whereas clothes, furniture parts, luggage allowances and medical measurements are given in centimeters. Switching between them is a daily task for anyone reading a floor plan and a product spec side by side.
How to convert meters to centimeters
- Write the length in meters in the first box. A decimal point is accepted.
- The second box shows the length in centimeters straight away.
- Use the figure as it is, or shift the decimal back two places to return to meters.
Example 1. A person 1.75 m tall is 1.75 × 100 = 175 cm.
Example 2. A rectangular room is 4.2 m by 3.6 m. In centimeters that is 420 cm by 360 cm.
Example 3. A 0.035 m thick board is 3.5 cm thick.
Areas and volumes scale with the square and cube of the factor. One square meter is 100 × 100 = 10,000 square centimeters, and one cubic meter is 1,000,000 cubic centimeters. Do not multiply an area by 100.
Meters to centimeters conversion table
| Meters (m) | Centimeters (cm) |
|---|---|
| 0.01 | 1 |
| 0.05 | 5 |
| 0.1 | 10 |
| 0.25 | 25 |
| 0.5 | 50 |
| 0.75 | 75 |
| 1 | 100 |
| 1.5 | 150 |
| 1.75 | 175 |
| 2 | 200 |
| 2.5 | 250 |
| 5 | 500 |
| 10 | 1,000 |
| 25 | 2,500 |
| 50 | 5,000 |
| 100 | 10,000 |
Mistakes to avoid
- Moving the point the wrong way. Centimeters are smaller than meters, so there are always more of them. If the number gets smaller, you have divided.
- Mixing up centi and milli. Centi is 100 per meter, milli is 1,000 per meter. For the second case use the meters to millimeters converter.
- Converting only one dimension of an area. Square or cubic measures need the factor applied to every dimension, as in the note above.
For larger distances see the meters to kilometers converter, and for imperial equivalents the meters to feet converter.
Frequently asked questions
How many centimeters are in a meter?
There are exactly 100 centimeters in 1 meter.
How do I convert meters to centimeters quickly?
Multiply by 100, which is the same as moving the decimal point two places to the right. 2.35 m becomes 235 cm.
How many centimeters is 1.5 meters?
1.5 meters is 150 centimeters.
How many square centimeters are in a square meter?
10,000. Both sides of the square are scaled by 100, so the area is scaled by 100 × 100.
References
Cite this converter and page
If you use this page in your work, you can cite it as:
Reeliy Editorial Team. (2026). Meters to Centimeters Converter. Reeliy. https://reeliy.com/converters/convert-m-to-cm-meters-to-centimeters“Meters to Centimeters Converter.” Reeliy, 2026, https://reeliy.com/converters/convert-m-to-cm-meters-to-centimeters.