City Map Compare/Brisbane vs Nairobi
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Brisbane

15,826 km²

Nairobi

696 km²

Brisbane vs Nairobi - City Size Comparison

Brisbane vs Nairobi - City Size Comparison

Brisbane

Australia

Area15,826 km²
Population2.71M
Density171 /km²
Elevation0 m
Founded1824
Nairobi

Kenya

Area696 km²
Population4.73M
Density6,796 /km²
Elevation1,661 m
Metro Pop.4.7M
Founded1899
Climatesubtropical highland

Area Comparison

Brisbane is 22.7x larger than Nairobi

Population Comparison

Brisbane has 1.7x fewer people than Nairobi

Is Brisbane Bigger Than Nairobi?

Brisbane is significantly larger, covering 22.7 times the area of Nairobi. Brisbane spans 15,826 km² (6,110 mi²) while Nairobi covers 696 km² (269 mi²) — a difference of 15,130 km². You could fit Nairobi inside Brisbane approximately 22 times.

To put Brisbane's size in perspective, its area of 15,826 km² is about 2.5x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Nairobi at 696 km² is about 1.1x smaller than New York City.

Picture Brisbane another way: its area is large enough to fit about 2,200,000 American football fields, 150 times the area of Paris, or 130 times the area of San Francisco. Nairobi works out to about 97,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 times the area of Paris.

About Brisbane

Brisbane is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Queensland and the third-most populous city in Australia, with a population of approximately 2.8 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of South East Queensland, a bio-geographical and urban region with an estimated population of 4.1 million as of 2024. The central business district is situated within a peninsula of the Brisbane River approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from its mouth at Moreton Bay.

Known as "Brissy", Brisbane covers 15,826 km² with a population of 2.7 million. The city was established in 1824. Brisbane is known for Brisbane River, South Bank Parklands, Story Bridge, among other attractions.

Brisbane is Queensland's capital and Australia's third-most populous city with around 2.8 million residents.

About Nairobi

Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya, located in the south-central part of the country. As of 2024, it has a population of 4.8 million and a metropolitan population of 5.7 million, making it the 11th most populous city in Africa. Nicknamed the "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi is uniquely notable for being the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries. Its name originates from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, meaning "place of cool waters".

Nicknamed "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi has an area of 696 km² and is home to 4.7 million people. Its history stretches back to 1899. Visitors come for Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Nairobi Commuter Rail.

Nairobi is the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries.

Population Density

Brisbane has a population density of 171 people per km² — a low-density, sprawling urban area. Nairobi, with 6,796 people per km², is a densely populated city. Nairobi is dramatically more crowded, with 39.7x the population density.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Nairobi fits inside Brisbane ~22 times

Density Gap

Nairobi is 39.7x more densely populated

Cities Similar in Size to Brisbane

Brisbane covers 15,826 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Beijing (16,411 km²), Hangzhou (16,854 km²), Chengdu (14,378 km²), Sydney (12,368 km²), or Xi'an (10,097 km²).

Cities Similar in Size to Nairobi

Nairobi covers 696 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Tehran (730 km²), Jakarta (662 km²), Singapore (733 km²), Bangalore (741 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is larger, Brisbane or Nairobi?
Brisbane is 22.7 times larger than Nairobi by area. Brisbane covers 15,826 km² while Nairobi spans 696 km², a difference of 15,130 km².
How many times does Nairobi fit inside Brisbane?
Nairobi (696 km²) fits inside Brisbane (15,826 km²) approximately 22 times. That means Brisbane is 22.7x the area of Nairobi.
What is the population difference between Brisbane and Nairobi?
Nairobi has approximately 4.7 million people, while Brisbane has about 2.7 million. Nairobi has 2.0 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Brisbane or Nairobi?
Nairobi is more densely populated with 6,796 people per km², compared to 171 people per km².
Which city is older, Brisbane or Nairobi?
Brisbane is older, founded around 1824, while Nairobi was established around 1899 — a difference of about 75 years.
How does the map comparison work?
Our synchronized map comparison tool displays both cities at the same zoom level. When you zoom in or out on one map, the other automatically adjusts to maintain the same scale, allowing you to directly compare the relative sizes of both cities.
Can I compare other cities?
Yes! Use the city selectors at the top of the page to choose any two cities from our database of 50+ major cities worldwide, or enter custom coordinates for any location.

Distance Between Brisbane and Nairobi

The straight-line distance from Brisbane to Nairobi is 12,500 km (7,767 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~15h 12m.

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