Barcelona
101 km²
Seoul
605 km²
Spain
South Korea
Area Comparison
Barcelona is 6.0x smaller than Seoul
Population Comparison
Barcelona has 5.9x fewer people than Seoul
Seoul is significantly larger, covering 6.0 times the area of Barcelona. Seoul spans 605 km² (234 mi²) while Barcelona covers 101 km² (39 mi²) — a difference of 504 km². You could fit Barcelona inside Seoul approximately 5 times.
To put Barcelona's size in perspective, its area of 101 km² is roughly the same size as Paris (city proper). Meanwhile, Seoul at 605 km² is about 1.3x smaller than New York City.
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. Seoul, by comparison, equals about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 times the area of Manhattan.
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.
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea, and the largest city in the whole of Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Paris, and London, and hosts more than half of South Korea's population.
Seoul has an area of 605 km² and is home to 9.8 million people. Its history stretches back to 18 BC. Visitors come for Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gangnam district, Myeongdong shopping, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Seoul Metro.
Seoul Metropolitan Area emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind only NYC, Tokyo, LA, Paris, and London.
Looking beyond city limits, the Seoul metropolitan area covers 11,704 km², which is 14.6x larger than greater Barcelona at 803 km². The Seoul metro area is also more populous, with 25.5 million people compared to 5.6 million.
Barcelona has a population density of 16,436 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Seoul, with 16,149 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Both cities have comparable density, though Barcelona is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — Barcelona in Europe versus Seoul in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Barcelona has a Mediterranean climate while Seoul experiences humid continental conditions. When it's noon in Seoul, it's 4:00 AM in Barcelona — a 8-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Barcelona fits inside Seoul ~5 times
Time Difference
8 hours apart
History
Barcelona is ~212 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).
Seoul covers 605 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chicago (606 km²), Madrid (604 km²), Mumbai (603 km²), Toronto (630 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Barcelona to Seoul is 9,602 km (5,966 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~11h 48m.
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