Beijing
16,411 km²
Rio de Janeiro
1,221 km²
China
Brazil
Area Comparison
Beijing is 13.4x larger than Rio de Janeiro
Population Comparison
Beijing has 3.2x more people than Rio de Janeiro
In terms of area, Beijing is 13.4x the size of Rio de Janeiro. Beijing spans 16,411 km² (6,336 mi²) while Rio de Janeiro covers 1,221 km² (471 mi²) — a difference of 15,190 km². You could fit Rio de Janeiro inside Beijing approximately 13 times.
To put Beijing's size in perspective, its area of 16,411 km² is about 2.6x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Rio de Janeiro at 1,221 km² is about 1.3x smaller than London.
Picture Beijing another way: its area is large enough to fit about 2,300,000 American football fields, 160 times the area of Paris, or 140 times the area of San Francisco. 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.
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.
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. The city dates back to 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 Beijing metropolitan area covers 16,411 km², which is 2.4x larger than greater Rio de Janeiro at 6,744 km². The Beijing metro area is also more populous, with 21.5 million people compared to 13.5 million.
Beijing has a population density of 1,313 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Rio de Janeiro, with 5,528 people per km², is a densely populated city. Rio de Janeiro is dramatically more crowded, with 4.2x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Beijing in Asia versus Rio de Janeiro in South America. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Beijing has a humid continental climate while Rio de Janeiro experiences tropical savanna conditions. Winters differ dramatically: Rio de Janeiro stays around 21°C while Beijing drops to -3°C. When it's noon in Beijing, it's 1:00 AM in Rio de Janeiro — a 11-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Rio de Janeiro fits inside Beijing ~13 times
Density Gap
Rio de Janeiro is 4.2x more densely populated
Time Difference
11 hours apart
History
Beijing is ~2,610 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).
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 Beijing to Rio de Janeiro is 17,321 km (10,763 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~20h 53m.
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