City Map Compare/Chennai vs São Paulo
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5 km
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Chennai

427 km²

São Paulo

1,521 km²

Chennai vs São Paulo - City Size Comparison

Chennai vs São Paulo - City Size Comparison

Chennai

India

Area427 km²
Population6.60M
Density15,457 /km²
Elevation6 m
Founded1639
São Paulo

Brazil

Area1,521 km²
Population12.33M
Density8,107 /km²
Elevation760 m
Metro Pop.22.0M
Founded1554
Climatehumid subtropical

Area Comparison

Chennai is 3.6x smaller than São Paulo

Population Comparison

Chennai has 1.9x fewer people than São Paulo

Is Chennai Bigger Than São Paulo?

In terms of area, São Paulo is 3.6x the size of Chennai. São Paulo spans 1,521 km² (587 mi²) while Chennai covers 427 km² (165 mi²) — a difference of 1,094 km². You could fit Chennai inside São Paulo approximately 3 times.

To put Chennai's size in perspective, its area of 427 km² is about 1.4x smaller than Seoul. Meanwhile, São Paulo at 1,521 km² is roughly the same size as London.

Chennai's footprint is roughly about 60,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Central Park, or 7 times the area of Manhattan — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. São Paulo, by comparison, equals about 213,000 American football fields, 26 times the area of Manhattan, or 14 times the area of Paris.

About Chennai

Chennai, also known as Madras, is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. As per the 2011 Indian census, Chennai is the sixth-most-populous city in India and forms the fourth-most-populous urban agglomeration. The city is coterminous with Chennai district, which together with the adjoining suburbs constitutes the Chennai Metropolitan Area, one of the largest metropolitan areas of India.

Known as "Madras", Chennai covers 427 km² with a population of 6.6 million. The city was established in 1639. Chennai is known for Marina Beach, Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Fort St. George, among other attractions.

Chennai, formerly Madras, is the capital of Tamil Nadu and the sixth-most-populous city in India.

About São Paulo

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…

Nicknamed "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.

Population Density

Chennai has a population density of 15,457 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. São Paulo, with 8,107 people per km², is a densely populated city. Chennai is noticeably denser, packing 1.9 times more people per square kilometer.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Chennai fits inside São Paulo ~3 times

Density Gap

Chennai is 1.9x more densely populated

Cities Similar in Size to Chennai

Chennai covers 427 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Vienna (415 km²), Oslo (454 km²), Denver (401 km²), Portland (376 km²), or Philadelphia (370 km²).

Cities Similar in Size to São Paulo

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).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Chennai actually bigger than São Paulo?
São Paulo is 3.6 times larger than Chennai by area. São Paulo covers 1,521 km² while Chennai spans 427 km², a difference of 1,094 km².
How many times does Chennai fit inside São Paulo?
Chennai (427 km²) fits inside São Paulo (1,521 km²) approximately 3 times. That means São Paulo is 3.6x the area of Chennai.
What is the population difference between Chennai and São Paulo?
São Paulo has approximately 12.3 million people, while Chennai has about 6.6 million. São Paulo has 5.7 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Chennai or São Paulo?
Chennai is more densely populated with 15,457 people per km², compared to 8,107 people per km².
Which city is older, Chennai or São Paulo?
São Paulo is older, founded around 1554, while Chennai was established around 1639 — a difference of about 85 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 Chennai and São Paulo

The straight-line distance from Chennai to São Paulo is 14,322 km (8,900 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~17h 21m.

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