Barcelona
101 km²
Rio de Janeiro
1,221 km²
Spain
Brazil
Area Comparison
Barcelona is 12.1x smaller than Rio de Janeiro
Population Comparison
Barcelona has 4.1x fewer people than Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is significantly larger, covering 12.1 times the area of Barcelona. Rio de Janeiro spans 1,221 km² (471 mi²) while Barcelona covers 101 km² (39 mi²) — a difference of 1,120 km². You could fit Barcelona inside Rio de Janeiro approximately 12 times.
To put Barcelona's size in perspective, its area of 101 km² is roughly the same size as Paris (city proper). Meanwhile, Rio de Janeiro at 1,221 km² is about 1.3x smaller than London.
Barcelona's footprint is roughly about 14,000 American football fields, 50 times the area of Monaco, or 30 times the area of Central Park — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. 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.
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.
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.
Often called "Cidade Maravilhosa", Rio de Janeiro has an area of 1,221 km² and is home to 6.8 million people. It was established in 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 8.4x larger than greater Barcelona at 803 km². The Rio de Janeiro metro area is also more populous, with 13.5 million people compared to 5.6 million.
Barcelona has a population density of 16,436 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Rio de Janeiro, with 5,528 people per km², is a densely populated city. Barcelona is noticeably denser, packing 3.0 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Barcelona in Europe versus Rio de Janeiro in South America. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Barcelona has a Mediterranean climate while Rio de Janeiro experiences tropical savanna conditions. When it's noon in Barcelona, it's 8:00 AM in Rio de Janeiro — a 4-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Barcelona fits inside Rio de Janeiro ~12 times
Density Gap
Barcelona is 3.0x more densely populated
Time Difference
4 hours apart
History
Barcelona is ~1,795 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).
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 Barcelona to Rio de Janeiro is 8,539 km (5,306 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 33m.
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