Buenos Aires
203 km²
Madrid
604 km²
Argentina
Spain
Area Comparison
Buenos Aires is 3.0x smaller than Madrid
Population Comparison
Buenos Aires has 1.1x fewer people than Madrid
In terms of area, Madrid is 3.0x the size of Buenos Aires. Madrid spans 604 km² (233 mi²) while Buenos Aires covers 203 km² (78 mi²) — a difference of 401 km². You could fit Buenos Aires inside Madrid approximately 2 times.
To put Buenos Aires's size in perspective, its area of 203 km² is roughly the same size as Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Madrid at 604 km² is roughly the same size as Seoul.
Buenos Aires's footprint is roughly about 28,000 American football fields, 100 times the area of Monaco, or 60 times the area of Central Park — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Madrid works out to about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 times the area of Manhattan.
Buenos Aires, officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− global city, according to the GaWC 2024 ranking. The city proper has a population of 3.1 million and its urban area has a population of 16.7 million, making it the 21st most populous metropolitan area in the world.
Known as "Paris of South America", Buenos Aires covers 203 km² with a population of 3.1 million. The city was established in 1536. Buenos Aires is known for La Boca's Caminito, Recoleta Cemetery, Teatro Colón, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Buenos Aires Subte.
Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− global city according to the GaWC 2024 ranking.
Madrid is the capital and most populous city of Spain. It had a population of over 3.4 million in the city proper in 2025, and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.8 million. Madrid is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), after Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the second-largest in the EU, after Paris. The municipality covers an area of 605.77 square kilometres (233.89 sq mi).
Nicknamed "La Villa y Corte", Madrid has an area of 604 km² and is home to 3.3 million people. It was established in 852. Visitors come for Royal Palace of Madrid, Prado Museum, Plaza Mayor, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Madrid Metro.
Madrid is the second-largest city in the European Union after Berlin, with over 3.4 million residents in the city proper
Looking beyond city limits, the Madrid metropolitan area covers 8,028 km², which is 1.7x larger than greater Buenos Aires at 4,758 km². The Buenos Aires metro area is also more populous, with 15.2 million people compared to 6.8 million.
Buenos Aires has a population density of 15,074 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Madrid, with 5,513 people per km², is a densely populated city. Buenos Aires is noticeably denser, packing 2.7 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Buenos Aires in South America versus Madrid in Europe. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Buenos Aires has a humid subtropical climate while Madrid experiences hot-summer Mediterranean conditions. When it's noon in Madrid, it's 8:00 AM in Buenos Aires — a 4-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Buenos Aires fits inside Madrid ~2 times
Density Gap
Buenos Aires is 2.7x more densely populated
Time Difference
4 hours apart
History
Madrid is ~684 years older
Buenos Aires covers 203 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Helsinki (214 km²), Amsterdam (219 km²), Stockholm (188 km²), Osaka (225 km²), or Boston (232 km²).
Madrid covers 604 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Seoul (605 km²), Mumbai (603 km²), Chicago (606 km²), Toronto (630 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Buenos Aires to Madrid is 10,045 km (6,242 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~12h 19m.
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