Buenos Aires
203 km²
São Paulo
1,521 km²
Argentina
Brazil
Area Comparison
Buenos Aires is 7.5x smaller than São Paulo
Population Comparison
Buenos Aires has 4.0x fewer people than São Paulo
In terms of area, São Paulo is 7.5x the size of Buenos Aires. São Paulo spans 1,521 km² (587 mi²) while Buenos Aires covers 203 km² (78 mi²) — a difference of 1,318 km². You could fit Buenos Aires inside São Paulo approximately 7 times.
To put Buenos Aires's size in perspective, its area of 203 km² is roughly the same size as Amsterdam. Meanwhile, São Paulo at 1,521 km² is roughly the same size as London.
Picture Buenos Aires another way: its area is large enough to fit about 28,000 American football fields, 100 times the area of Monaco, or 60 times the area of Central Park. São Paulo, by comparison, equals about 213,000 American football fields, 26 times the area of Manhattan, or 14 times the area of Paris.
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.
São Paulo is the capital city of the state of the same name, as well as the most populous city in Brazil, South America, the Americas, and in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres. The city exerts international influence in commerce, finance, culture, gastronomy, arts, fashion, technology, entertainment and media, having been listed by UNESCO's Creative Cities Network as a "City of Film" and the title of "World Capital of Gastronomy", and by the Globalization and World Cities Research…
Often called "Sampa", São Paulo has an area of 1,521 km² and is home to 12.3 million people. It was established in 1554. Visitors come for Avenida Paulista, Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo Museum of Art, and much more. Getting around is easy with the São Paulo Metro.
São Paulo is the most populous city in Brazil, the Americas, and both the Western and Southern Hemispheres.
Looking beyond city limits, the São Paulo metropolitan area covers 7,947 km², which is 1.7x larger than greater Buenos Aires at 4,758 km². The São Paulo metro area is also more populous, with 22.0 million people compared to 15.2 million.
Buenos Aires has a population density of 15,074 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. São Paulo, with 8,107 people per km², is a densely populated city. Buenos Aires is noticeably denser, packing 1.9 times more people per square kilometer.
Both cities are in South America, but they represent different national approaches to urban development. Buenos Aires (Argentina) and São Paulo (Brazil) offer a fascinating regional contrast.
Both cities share a humid subtropical climate, though local geography creates distinct microclimates in each.
Size Ratio
Buenos Aires fits inside São Paulo ~7 times
Density Gap
Buenos Aires is 1.9x more densely populated
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).
São Paulo covers 1,521 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Mexico City (1,485 km²), Delhi (1,484 km²), Bangkok (1,569 km²), London (1,572 km²), or Bogotá (1,578 km²).
The straight-line distance from Buenos Aires to São Paulo is 1,675 km (1,041 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~2h 28m. See full distance details, including timezone difference and city facts.
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