Amsterdam
219 km²
São Paulo
1,521 km²
Netherlands
Brazil
Area Comparison
Amsterdam is 6.9x smaller than São Paulo
Population Comparison
Amsterdam has 13.4x fewer people than São Paulo
São Paulo is significantly larger, covering 6.9 times the area of Amsterdam. São Paulo spans 1,521 km² (587 mi²) while Amsterdam covers 219 km² (85 mi²) — a difference of 1,302 km². You could fit Amsterdam inside São Paulo approximately 6 times.
To put Amsterdam's size in perspective, its area of 219 km² is about 1.2x the size of Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, São Paulo at 1,521 km² is roughly the same size as London.
Amsterdam's footprint is roughly about 31,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Monaco, or 64 times the area of Central Park — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. São Paulo, by comparison, equals about 213,000 American football fields, 26 times the area of Manhattan, or 14 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
São Paulo is the capital city of the state of the same name, as well as the most populous city in Brazil, South America, the Americas, and in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres. The city exerts international influence in commerce, finance, culture, gastronomy, arts, fashion, technology, entertainment and media, having been listed by UNESCO's Creative Cities Network as a "City of Film" and the title of "World Capital of Gastronomy", and by the Globalization and World Cities Research…
Also known as "Sampa", São Paulo has an area of 1,521 km² and is home to 12.3 million people. The city dates back to 1554. Visitors come for Avenida Paulista, Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo Museum of Art, and much more. Getting around is easy with the São Paulo Metro.
São Paulo is the most populous city in Brazil, the Americas, and both the Western and Southern Hemispheres.
Looking beyond city limits, the São Paulo metropolitan area covers 7,947 km², which is 3.1x larger than greater Amsterdam at 2,580 km². The São Paulo metro area is also more populous, with 22.0 million people compared to 2.5 million.
Amsterdam has a population density of 4,201 people per km² — a moderately dense city. São Paulo, with 8,107 people per km², is a densely populated city. São Paulo is noticeably denser, packing 1.9 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Amsterdam in Europe versus São Paulo in South America. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Amsterdam has a oceanic climate while São Paulo experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in Amsterdam, it's 8:00 AM in São Paulo — a 4-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Amsterdam fits inside São Paulo ~6 times
Density Gap
São Paulo is 1.9x more densely populated
Time Difference
4 hours apart
History
Amsterdam is ~279 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).
São Paulo covers 1,521 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Mexico City (1,485 km²), Delhi (1,484 km²), Bangkok (1,569 km²), London (1,572 km²), or Bogotá (1,578 km²).
The straight-line distance from Amsterdam to São Paulo is 9,805 km (6,093 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~12h 2m.
Want to explore more? Compare city sizes for any two cities worldwide, or share your location live with friends.