Guangzhou
7,434 km²
São Paulo
1,521 km²
China
Brazil
Area Comparison
Guangzhou is 4.9x larger than São Paulo
Population Comparison
Guangzhou has 1.5x more people than São Paulo
In terms of area, Guangzhou is 4.9x the size of São Paulo. Guangzhou spans 7,434 km² (2,870 mi²) while São Paulo covers 1,521 km² (587 mi²) — a difference of 5,913 km². You could fit São Paulo inside Guangzhou approximately 4 times.
To put Guangzhou's size in perspective, its area of 7,434 km² is about 1.2x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, São Paulo at 1,521 km² is roughly the same size as London.
In more relatable units, Guangzhou's 7,434 km² is about 1,000,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Manhattan, or 71 times the area of Paris. For São Paulo, that's about 213,000 American football fields, 26 times the area of Manhattan, or 14 times the area of Paris.
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
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 1.1x larger than greater Guangzhou at 7,434 km². The São Paulo metro area is also more populous, with 22.0 million people compared to 18.7 million.
Guangzhou has a population density of 2,513 people per km² — a moderately dense city. São Paulo, with 8,107 people per km², is a densely populated city. São Paulo is dramatically more crowded, with 3.2x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Guangzhou in Asia versus São Paulo in South America. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Both cities share a humid subtropical climate, though local geography creates distinct microclimates in each. When it's noon in Guangzhou, it's 1:00 AM in São Paulo — a 11-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
São Paulo fits inside Guangzhou ~4 times
Density Gap
São Paulo is 3.2x more densely populated
Time Difference
11 hours apart
History
Guangzhou is ~1,768 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).
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 Guangzhou to São Paulo is 17,964 km (11,162 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~21h 38m.
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