City Map Compare/Brisbane vs San Francisco
vs
5 km
|

Brisbane

15,826 km²

San Francisco

121 km²

Brisbane vs San Francisco - City Size Comparison

Brisbane vs San Francisco - City Size Comparison

Brisbane

Australia

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

USA

Area121 km²
Population0.87M
Density7,190 /km²
Elevation16 m
Metro Pop.4.7M
Founded1776
ClimateMediterranean

Area Comparison

Brisbane is 130.8x larger than San Francisco

Population Comparison

Brisbane has 3.1x more people than San Francisco

Is Brisbane Bigger Than San Francisco?

Brisbane is significantly larger, covering 130.8 times the area of San Francisco. Brisbane spans 15,826 km² (6,110 mi²) while San Francisco covers 121 km² (47 mi²) — a difference of 15,705 km². You could fit San Francisco inside Brisbane approximately 130 times.

To put Brisbane's size in perspective, its area of 15,826 km² is about 2.5x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, San Francisco at 121 km² is about 1.2x the size of Paris (city proper).

Brisbane's footprint is roughly about 2,200,000 American football fields, 150 times the area of Paris, or 130 times the area of San Francisco — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. For San Francisco, that's about 17,000 American football fields, 60 times the area of Monaco, or 35 times the area of Central Park.

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 San Francisco

San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with a population of 826,079 in 2025. Among U.S. cities with a population of 300,000 or more, San Francisco is ranked first by per capita income, second by population density, and sixth by aggregate income as of 2023.

Nicknamed "The City by the Bay", San Francisco has an area of 121 km² and is home to 0.9 million people. Its history stretches back to 1776. Visitors come for Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Cable cars, and much more. Getting around is easy with the BART & Muni.

San Francisco ranks first by per capita income among all US cities with 300,000+ residents as of 2023.

Population Density

Brisbane has a population density of 171 people per km² — a low-density, sprawling urban area. San Francisco, with 7,190 people per km², is a densely populated city. San Francisco is dramatically more crowded, with 42.0x the population density.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

San Francisco fits inside Brisbane ~130 times

Density Gap

San Francisco is 42.0x 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 San Francisco

San Francisco covers 121 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Vancouver (115 km²), Paris (105 km²), Miami (143 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), or Lisbon (100 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is larger, Brisbane or San Francisco?
Brisbane is 130.8 times larger than San Francisco by area. Brisbane covers 15,826 km² while San Francisco spans 121 km², a difference of 15,705 km².
How many times does San Francisco fit inside Brisbane?
San Francisco (121 km²) fits inside Brisbane (15,826 km²) approximately 130 times. That means Brisbane is 130.8x the area of San Francisco.
What is the population difference between Brisbane and San Francisco?
Brisbane has approximately 2.7 million people, while San Francisco has about 0.9 million. Brisbane has 1.8 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Brisbane or San Francisco?
San Francisco is more densely populated with 7,190 people per km², compared to 171 people per km².
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 San Francisco

The straight-line distance from Brisbane to San Francisco is 11,394 km (7,080 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~13h 54m.

Want to explore more? Compare city sizes for any two cities worldwide, or share your location live with friends.