Istanbul
5,461 km²
São Paulo
1,521 km²
Turkey
Brazil
Area Comparison
Istanbul is 3.6x larger than São Paulo
Population Comparison
Istanbul has 1.3x more people than São Paulo
Yes — Istanbul is 3.6x larger than São Paulo by area. Istanbul spans 5,461 km² (2,109 mi²) while São Paulo covers 1,521 km² (587 mi²) — a difference of 3,940 km². You could fit São Paulo inside Istanbul approximately 3 times.
To put Istanbul's size in perspective, its area of 5,461 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Shanghai. Meanwhile, São Paulo at 1,521 km² is roughly the same size as London.
Istanbul's footprint is roughly about 765,000 American football fields, 92 times the area of Manhattan, or 52 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. São Paulo works out to about 213,000 American football fields, 26 times the area of Manhattan, or 14 times the area of Paris.
Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical center. With a population of over 15 million, it is home to 18% of the population of Turkey. Istanbul is among the largest cities in Europe and in the world by population. It is a city on two continents; about two-thirds of its population live in Europe and the rest in Asia.
Known as "City on Two Continents", Istanbul covers 5,461 km² with a population of 15.5 million. The city was founded around 660 BC. Istanbul is known for Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Istanbul Metro.
Istanbul is one of the only major cities to span two continents, with about two-thirds of its population living in Europe and the rest in Asia.
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…
Also known as "Sampa", São Paulo has an area of 1,521 km² and is home to 12.3 million people. The city dates back to 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 1.5x larger than greater Istanbul at 5,461 km². The São Paulo metro area is also more populous, with 22.0 million people compared to 15.5 million.
Istanbul has a population density of 2,831 people per km² — a moderately dense city. São Paulo, with 8,107 people per km², is a densely populated city. São Paulo is noticeably denser, packing 2.9 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Istanbul in Europe versus São Paulo in South America. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Istanbul has a oceanic climate while São Paulo experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in Istanbul, it's 6:00 AM in São Paulo — a 6-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
São Paulo fits inside Istanbul ~3 times
Density Gap
São Paulo is 2.9x more densely populated
Time Difference
6 hours apart
History
Istanbul is ~2,214 years older
Istanbul covers 5,461 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Shanghai (6,341 km²), Perth (6,417 km²), Dubai (4,114 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), or Karachi (3,527 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 Istanbul to São Paulo is 10,583 km (6,576 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~12h 57m.
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