City Map Compare/Brussels vs Sydney
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Brussels

161 km²

Sydney

12,368 km²

Brussels vs Sydney - City Size Comparison

Brussels vs Sydney - City Size Comparison

Brussels

Belgium

Area161 km²
Population1.26M
Density7,826 /km²
Elevation13 m
Founded1989
Sydney

Australia

Area12,368 km²
Population5.31M
Density429 /km²
Elevation58 m
Metro Pop.5.3M
Founded1788
Climatehumid subtropical

Area Comparison

Brussels is 76.8x smaller than Sydney

Population Comparison

Brussels has 4.2x fewer people than Sydney

Is Brussels Bigger Than Sydney?

Sydney is significantly larger, covering 76.8 times the area of Brussels. Sydney spans 12,368 km² (4,775 mi²) while Brussels covers 161 km² (62 mi²) — a difference of 12,207 km². You could fit Brussels inside Sydney approximately 76 times.

To put Brussels's size in perspective, its area of 161 km² is roughly the same size as Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, Sydney at 12,368 km² is about 2.0x the size of Shanghai.

In more relatable units, Brussels's 161 km² is about 23,000 American football fields, 80 times the area of Monaco, or 47 times the area of Central Park. For Sydney, that's about 1,700,000 American football fields, 120 times the area of Paris, or 100 times the area of San Francisco.

About Brussels

Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels, which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country. It is a part of both the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community, and is separate from the Flemish Region (Flanders), within which it forms an enclave, and the Walloon Region (Wallonia), located less than 4 km (2.5 mi) south.

Known as "Capital of Europe", Brussels covers 161 km² with a population of 1.3 million. The city was established in 1989. Brussels is known for Grand Place, Manneken Pis, Atomium, among other attractions.

The Brussels-Capital Region comprises 19 municipalities and forms an enclave entirely within the Flemish Region.

About Sydney

Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and is the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west, and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and the Hawkesbury River in the north and north-west, to the Royal National Park and Macarthur in the south and south-west.

Also known as "Sydneysiders", Sydney has an area of 12,368 km² and is home to 5.3 million people. It was established in 1788. Visitors come for Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Sydney Trains.

Sydney stretches roughly 80 km from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west.

Population Density

Brussels has a population density of 7,826 people per km² — a densely populated city. Sydney, with 429 people per km², is a low-density, sprawling urban area. Brussels is dramatically more crowded, with 18.2x the population density.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Brussels fits inside Sydney ~76 times

Density Gap

Brussels is 18.2x more densely populated

History

Sydney is ~201 years older

Cities Similar in Size to Brussels

Brussels covers 161 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Minneapolis (149 km²), Washington D.C. (177 km²), Miami (143 km²), Stockholm (188 km²), or Buenos Aires (203 km²).

Cities Similar in Size to Sydney

Sydney covers 12,368 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chengdu (14,378 km²), Xi'an (10,097 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), or Beijing (16,411 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Brussels actually bigger than Sydney?
Sydney is 76.8 times larger than Brussels by area. Sydney covers 12,368 km² while Brussels spans 161 km², a difference of 12,207 km².
How many times does Brussels fit inside Sydney?
Brussels (161 km²) fits inside Sydney (12,368 km²) approximately 76 times. That means Sydney is 76.8x the area of Brussels.
What is the population difference between Brussels and Sydney?
Sydney has approximately 5.3 million people, while Brussels has about 1.3 million. Sydney has 4.0 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Brussels or Sydney?
Brussels is more densely populated with 7,826 people per km², compared to 429 people per km².
Which city is older, Brussels or Sydney?
Sydney is older, founded around 1788, while Brussels was established around 1989 — a difference of about 201 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 Brussels and Sydney

The straight-line distance from Brussels to Sydney is 16,745 km (10,405 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~20h 12m.

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