Guangzhou
7,434 km²
Lisbon
100 km²
China
Portugal
Area Comparison
Guangzhou is 74.3x larger than Lisbon
Population Comparison
Guangzhou has 34.0x more people than Lisbon
In terms of area, Guangzhou is 74.3x the size of Lisbon. Guangzhou spans 7,434 km² (2,870 mi²) while Lisbon covers 100 km² (39 mi²) — a difference of 7,334 km². You could fit Lisbon inside Guangzhou approximately 74 times.
To put Guangzhou's size in perspective, its area of 7,434 km² is about 1.2x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Lisbon at 100 km² is roughly the same size as Paris (city proper).
Guangzhou's footprint is roughly about 1,000,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Manhattan, or 71 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. For Lisbon, that's about 14,000 American football fields, 50 times the area of Monaco, or 29 times the area of Central Park.
Guangzhou, also known as Canton, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong in southern China. Located on the Pearl River, about 120 kilometres (75 mi) northwest of Hong Kong and 145 kilometres (90 mi) north of Macau, Guangzhou has a history of over 2,200 years and was a major terminus of the Silk Road.
Known as "Canton", Guangzhou covers 7,434 km² with a population of 18.7 million. The city was founded around 214 BC. Guangzhou is known for Canton Tower, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Shamian Island, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Guangzhou Metro.
Guangzhou boasts a history of over 2,200 years and served as a major terminus of the ancient Silk Road
Lisbon is the capital and most populous city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 575,739 as of 2024, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainland Europe's westernmost capital city, and the only one along the Atlantic coast, the others being on islands. The city lies in the western portion of the Iberian Peninsula, on the northern shore of the River Tagus.
Also known as "City of Seven Hills", Lisbon has an area of 100 km² and is home to 0.6 million people. It was founded around 1200 BC. Visitors come for Belém Tower, Jerónimos Monastery, Tram 28, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Lisbon Metro.
Lisbon is mainland Europe's westernmost capital city and the only European capital along the Atlantic coast.
Looking beyond city limits, the Guangzhou metropolitan area covers 7,434 km², which is 2.5x larger than greater Lisbon at 3,015 km². The Guangzhou metro area is also more populous, with 18.7 million people compared to 2.9 million.
Guangzhou has a population density of 2,513 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Lisbon, with 5,500 people per km², is a densely populated city. Lisbon is noticeably denser, packing 2.2 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Guangzhou in Asia versus Lisbon in Europe. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Guangzhou has a humid subtropical climate while Lisbon experiences Mediterranean conditions. When it's noon in Guangzhou, it's 4:00 AM in Lisbon — a 8-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Lisbon fits inside Guangzhou ~74 times
Density Gap
Lisbon is 2.2x more densely populated
Time Difference
8 hours apart
History
Lisbon is ~986 years older
Guangzhou covers 7,434 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Wuhan (8,569 km²), Perth (6,417 km²), Shanghai (6,341 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), or Xi'an (10,097 km²).
Lisbon covers 100 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Barcelona (101 km²), Paris (105 km²), Copenhagen (91 km²), Zurich (88 km²), or Vancouver (115 km²).
The straight-line distance from Guangzhou to Lisbon is 10,894 km (6,770 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~13h 19m.
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