Beijing
16,411 km²
Lisbon
100 km²
China
Portugal
Area Comparison
Beijing is 164.1x larger than Lisbon
Population Comparison
Beijing has 39.2x more people than Lisbon
In terms of area, Beijing is 164.1x the size of Lisbon. Beijing spans 16,411 km² (6,336 mi²) while Lisbon covers 100 km² (39 mi²) — a difference of 16,311 km². You could fit Lisbon inside Beijing approximately 164 times.
To put Beijing's size in perspective, its area of 16,411 km² is about 2.6x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Lisbon at 100 km² is roughly the same size as Paris (city proper).
Beijing's footprint is roughly about 2,300,000 American football fields, 160 times the area of Paris, or 140 times the area of San Francisco — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Lisbon works out to about 14,000 American football fields, 50 times the area of Monaco, or 29 times the area of Central Park.
Beijing, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's most populous national capital city, as well as China's second-largest city by urban area, after Shanghai. It is located in Northern China, and is governed as a municipality under the direct administration of the State Council with 16 urban districts.
Known as "Northern Capital", Beijing covers 16,411 km² with a population of 21.5 million. The city was founded around 1045 BC. Beijing is known for Forbidden City, Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Beijing Subway.
With over 22 million residents, Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city.
Lisbon is the capital and most populous city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 575,739 as of 2024, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainland Europe's westernmost capital city, and the only one along the Atlantic coast, the others being on islands. The city lies in the western portion of the Iberian Peninsula, on the northern shore of the River Tagus.
Nicknamed "City of Seven Hills", Lisbon has an area of 100 km² and is home to 0.6 million people. The city dates back to 1200 BC. Visitors come for Belém Tower, Jerónimos Monastery, Tram 28, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Lisbon Metro.
Lisbon is mainland Europe's westernmost capital city and the only European capital along the Atlantic coast.
Looking beyond city limits, the Beijing metropolitan area covers 16,411 km², which is 5.4x larger than greater Lisbon at 3,015 km². The Beijing metro area is also more populous, with 21.5 million people compared to 2.9 million.
Beijing has a population density of 1,313 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Lisbon, with 5,500 people per km², is a densely populated city. Lisbon is dramatically more crowded, with 4.2x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Beijing in Asia versus Lisbon in Europe. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Beijing has a humid continental climate while Lisbon experiences Mediterranean conditions. When it's noon in Beijing, it's 4:00 AM in Lisbon — a 8-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Lisbon fits inside Beijing ~164 times
Density Gap
Lisbon is 4.2x more densely populated
Time Difference
8 hours apart
History
Lisbon is ~155 years older
Beijing covers 16,411 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Hangzhou (16,854 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), Chengdu (14,378 km²), Sydney (12,368 km²), or Xi'an (10,097 km²).
Lisbon covers 100 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Barcelona (101 km²), Paris (105 km²), Copenhagen (91 km²), Zurich (88 km²), or Vancouver (115 km²).
The straight-line distance from Beijing to Lisbon is 9,668 km (6,007 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~11h 52m.
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