Barcelona
101 km²
Sydney
12,368 km²
Spain
Australia
Area Comparison
Barcelona is 122.5x smaller than Sydney
Population Comparison
Barcelona has 3.2x fewer people than Sydney
Yes — Sydney is 122.5x larger than Barcelona by area. Sydney spans 12,368 km² (4,775 mi²) while Barcelona covers 101 km² (39 mi²) — a difference of 12,267 km². You could fit Barcelona inside Sydney approximately 122 times.
To put Barcelona's size in perspective, its area of 101 km² is roughly the same size as Paris (city proper). Meanwhile, Sydney at 12,368 km² is about 2.0x the size of Shanghai.
In more relatable units, Barcelona's 101 km² is about 14,000 American football fields, 50 times the area of Monaco, or 30 times the area of Central Park. Sydney works out to about 1,700,000 American football fields, 120 times the area of Paris, or 100 times the area of San Francisco.
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.
Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and is the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west, and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and the Hawkesbury River in the north and north-west, to the Royal National Park and Macarthur in the south and south-west.
Often called "Sydneysiders", Sydney has an area of 12,368 km² and is home to 5.3 million people. The city dates back to 1788. Visitors come for Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Sydney Trains.
Sydney stretches roughly 80 km from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west.
Looking beyond city limits, the Sydney metropolitan area covers 12,368 km², which is 15.4x larger than greater Barcelona at 803 km². The Barcelona metro area is also more populous, with 5.6 million people compared to 5.3 million.
Barcelona has a population density of 16,436 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Sydney, with 429 people per km², is a low-density, sprawling urban area. Barcelona is dramatically more crowded, with 38.3x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Barcelona in Europe versus Sydney in Oceania. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Barcelona has a Mediterranean climate while Sydney experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in Sydney, it's 3:00 AM in Barcelona — a 9-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Barcelona fits inside Sydney ~122 times
Density Gap
Barcelona is 38.3x more densely populated
Time Difference
9 hours apart
History
Barcelona is ~2,018 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).
Sydney covers 12,368 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chengdu (14,378 km²), Xi'an (10,097 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), or Beijing (16,411 km²).
The straight-line distance from Barcelona to Sydney is 17,181 km (10,676 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~20h 43m.
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