Amsterdam
219 km²
Rio de Janeiro
1,221 km²
Netherlands
Brazil
Area Comparison
Amsterdam is 5.6x smaller than Rio de Janeiro
Population Comparison
Amsterdam has 7.3x fewer people than Rio de Janeiro
In terms of area, Rio de Janeiro is 5.6x the size of Amsterdam. Rio de Janeiro spans 1,221 km² (471 mi²) while Amsterdam covers 219 km² (85 mi²) — a difference of 1,002 km². You could fit Amsterdam inside Rio de Janeiro approximately 5 times.
To put Amsterdam's size in perspective, its area of 219 km² is about 1.2x the size of Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, Rio de Janeiro at 1,221 km² is about 1.3x smaller than London.
Picture Amsterdam another way: its area is large enough to fit about 31,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Monaco, or 64 times the area of Central Park. Rio de Janeiro, by comparison, equals about 171,000 American football fields, 21 times the area of Manhattan, or 12 times the area of Paris.
Amsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the urban area and 2,480,394 in the metropolitan area. Located in the Dutch province of North Holland, Amsterdam is colloquially referred to as the "Venice of the North", for its large number of canals, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Known as "Venice of the North", Amsterdam covers 219 km² with a population of 0.9 million. The city was established in 1275. Amsterdam is known for Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the GVB (Metro & Tram).
Amsterdam's historic canal ring is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, earning it the nickname Venice of the North
Rio de Janeiro, also known simply as Rio, is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the second-most-populous city in Brazil after São Paulo and the sixth-most-populous city in the Americas.
Nicknamed "Cidade Maravilhosa", Rio de Janeiro has an area of 1,221 km² and is home to 6.8 million people. The city dates back to 1565. Visitors come for Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana beach, and much more. Getting around is easy with the MetrôRio.
Rio de Janeiro is the second-most-populous city in Brazil after São Paulo and the sixth-most-populous in the Americas.
Looking beyond city limits, the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area covers 6,744 km², which is 2.6x larger than greater Amsterdam at 2,580 km². The Rio de Janeiro metro area is also more populous, with 13.5 million people compared to 2.5 million.
Amsterdam has a population density of 4,201 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Rio de Janeiro, with 5,528 people per km², is a densely populated city. Both cities have comparable density, though Rio de Janeiro is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — Amsterdam in Europe versus Rio de Janeiro in South America. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Amsterdam has a oceanic climate while Rio de Janeiro experiences tropical savanna conditions. Winters differ dramatically: Rio de Janeiro stays around 21°C while Amsterdam drops to 3°C. When it's noon in Amsterdam, it's 8:00 AM in Rio de Janeiro — a 4-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Amsterdam fits inside Rio de Janeiro ~5 times
Density Gap
Rio de Janeiro is 1.3x more densely populated
Time Difference
4 hours apart
History
Amsterdam is ~290 years older
Amsterdam covers 219 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Helsinki (214 km²), Osaka (225 km²), Boston (232 km²), Buenos Aires (203 km²), or Kuala Lumpur (243 km²).
Rio de Janeiro covers 1,221 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Antonio (1,209 km²), Lagos (1,172 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), Los Angeles (1,302 km²), or Hong Kong (1,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from Amsterdam to Rio de Janeiro is 9,577 km (5,951 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~11h 46m.
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