Barcelona
101 km²
Nairobi
696 km²
Spain
Kenya
Area Comparison
Barcelona is 6.9x smaller than Nairobi
Population Comparison
Barcelona has 2.8x fewer people than Nairobi
Nairobi is significantly larger, covering 6.9 times the area of Barcelona. Nairobi spans 696 km² (269 mi²) while Barcelona covers 101 km² (39 mi²) — a difference of 595 km². You could fit Barcelona inside Nairobi approximately 6 times.
To put Barcelona's size in perspective, its area of 101 km² is roughly the same size as Paris (city proper). Meanwhile, Nairobi at 696 km² is about 1.1x smaller than New York City.
Picture Barcelona another way: its area is large enough to fit about 14,000 American football fields, 50 times the area of Monaco, or 30 times the area of Central Park. For Nairobi, that's about 97,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 times the area of Paris.
Barcelona is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.7 million within city limits, its urban area extends to numerous neighbouring municipalities within the province of Barcelona and is home to around 5.7 million people, making it the fifth most populous urban area of the European Union after Paris, the Ruhr area, Madrid and Milan.
Known as "Ciutat Comtal", Barcelona covers 101 km² with a population of 1.7 million. The city was founded around 230 BC. Barcelona is known for Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, La Rambla, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Barcelona Metro (TMB).
Barcelona is the second-most populous municipality in Spain and the capital of the autonomous community of Catalonia.
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya, located in the south-central part of the country. As of 2024, it has a population of 4.8 million and a metropolitan population of 5.7 million, making it the 11th most populous city in Africa. Nicknamed the "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi is uniquely notable for being the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries. Its name originates from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, meaning "place of cool waters".
Often called "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi has an area of 696 km² and is home to 4.7 million people. Its history stretches back to 1899. Visitors come for Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Nairobi Commuter Rail.
Nairobi is the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries.
Looking beyond city limits, the Barcelona metropolitan area covers 803 km², which is 1.2x larger than greater Nairobi at 696 km². The Barcelona metro area is also more populous, with 5.6 million people compared to 4.7 million.
Barcelona has a population density of 16,436 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Nairobi, with 6,796 people per km², is a densely populated city. Barcelona is noticeably denser, packing 2.4 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Barcelona in Europe versus Nairobi in Africa. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Barcelona has a Mediterranean climate while Nairobi experiences subtropical highland conditions. When it's noon in Nairobi, it's 10:00 AM in Barcelona — a 2-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Barcelona fits inside Nairobi ~6 times
Density Gap
Barcelona is 2.4x more densely populated
History
Barcelona is ~2,129 years older
Barcelona covers 101 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Lisbon (100 km²), Paris (105 km²), Copenhagen (91 km²), Vancouver (115 km²), or Zurich (88 km²).
Nairobi covers 696 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Tehran (730 km²), Jakarta (662 km²), Singapore (733 km²), Bangalore (741 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Barcelona to Nairobi is 5,891 km (3,661 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~7h 26m.
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