Barcelona
101 km²
Taipei
272 km²
Spain
Taiwan
Area Comparison
Barcelona is 2.7x smaller than Taipei
Population Comparison
Barcelona has 1.6x fewer people than Taipei
In terms of area, Taipei is 2.7x the size of Barcelona. Taipei spans 272 km² (105 mi²) while Barcelona covers 101 km² (39 mi²) — a difference of 171 km². You could fit Barcelona inside Taipei approximately 2 times.
To put Barcelona's size in perspective, its area of 101 km² is roughly the same size as Paris (city proper). Meanwhile, Taipei at 272 km² is about 1.2x the size of Amsterdam.
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. For Taipei, that's about 38,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Monaco, or 80 times the area of Central Park.
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.
Taipei, officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of Taiwan. Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about 25 kilometres (16 mi) southwest of the northern port city of Keelung. Most of the city rests on the Taipei Basin, an ancient lakebed. The basin is bounded by the relatively narrow valleys of the Keelung and Xindian rivers, which join to form the Tamsui River along the city's western border.
Taipei has an area of 272 km² and is home to 2.6 million people. It was established in 1709. Visitors come for Taipei 101 tower, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial, Shilin Night Market, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Taipei Metro (MRT).
Most of Taipei rests on the Taipei Basin, an ancient lakebed bounded by narrow river valleys.
Looking beyond city limits, the Taipei metropolitan area covers 2,458 km², which is 3.1x larger than greater Barcelona at 803 km². The Taipei metro area is also more populous, with 7.0 million people compared to 5.6 million.
Barcelona has a population density of 16,436 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Taipei, with 9,743 people per km², is a densely populated city. Barcelona is noticeably denser, packing 1.7 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Barcelona in Europe versus Taipei in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Barcelona has a Mediterranean climate while Taipei experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in Taipei, it's 5:00 AM in Barcelona — a 7-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Barcelona fits inside Taipei ~2 times
Density Gap
Barcelona is 1.7x more densely populated
Time Difference
7 hours apart
History
Barcelona is ~1,939 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).
Taipei covers 272 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Edinburgh (259 km²), Kuala Lumpur (243 km²), Munich (311 km²), Boston (232 km²), or Osaka (225 km²).
The straight-line distance from Barcelona to Taipei is 10,351 km (6,432 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~12h 41m.
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