In 1 petabytes there are 1,000,000,000,000 kilobytes. Meanwhile in 1 kilobytes there are 1.00000e-12 petabytes. Keep reading to learn more about each unit of measure and how they are calculated. Or just use the Kilobytes to Petabytes calculator above to convert any number.
* Values rounded to 6 decimal places for readability
To convert petabytes to kilobytes (PB to KB), use the decimal (SI) units most common in storage specs.
Formula:
KB = PB × 1,000,000,000,000
Example:
2.5 PB × 1,000,000,000,000 = 2,500,000,000,000 KB
Some systems use binary units. If you see PiB and KiB, that’s a different scale than PB and KB.
It depends on the standard you use.
Many storage makers use decimal units, while many operating systems report in binary.
Most people use KB and kB to mean the same thing, but the most correct form in decimal is kB for kilobyte. In real use, you’ll often see KB in apps, file tools, and casual writing.
They measure data size using different bases.
This gap grows as you move up to larger units like megabytes, gigabytes, and petabytes.
Both exist, but they mean different things.
If you see PB, it usually means decimal unless stated otherwise.
Use the formula that matches your unit system.
If you mix systems, your result won’t match what your device shows.
Pick decimal or binary first, then multiply.
Example in decimal:
If you need binary units, use PiB and KiB instead of PB and kB.
Your computer may use binary units while drive labels often use decimal units. A value shown as “PB” in marketing can look smaller in an operating system that reports closer to PiB-based numbers.
Not usually. Internet speed is most often measured in bits, like kbps, Mbps, or Gbps. Storage size uses bytes, like kB, MB, GB, or PB. Since 1 byte = 8 bits, mixing the two can cause big mistakes.
In strict terms, kilobyte (kB) means 1,000 bytes. The 1,024-byte unit is kibibyte (KiB). Many tools still label KiB values as “KB,” which adds confusion.
PiB is bigger than PB.
That’s why the same data can show different sizes depending on the unit system.
Using decimal units:
If you meant half a pebibyte, use KiB and PiB instead.
Use decimal (PB to kB) for drive labels, cloud plans, and most billing. Use binary (PiB to KiB) when you need to match how some operating systems and low-level tools report sizes. The key is to stay consistent from start to finish.
The Calculate Box tool to convert petabytes to kilobytes uses the open source script Convert.js to convert units of measurement. To use this tool, simply type a petabytes value in the box and have it instantly converted to kilobytes.