Johannesburg
1,644 km²
Lisbon
100 km²
South Africa
Portugal
Area Comparison
Johannesburg is 16.4x larger than Lisbon
Population Comparison
Johannesburg has 8.7x more people than Lisbon
Johannesburg is significantly larger, covering 16.4 times the area of Lisbon. Johannesburg spans 1,644 km² (635 mi²) while Lisbon covers 100 km² (39 mi²) — a difference of 1,544 km². You could fit Lisbon inside Johannesburg approximately 16 times.
To put Johannesburg's size in perspective, its area of 1,644 km² is roughly the same size as London. Meanwhile, Lisbon at 100 km² is roughly the same size as Paris (city proper).
Johannesburg's footprint is roughly about 230,000 American football fields, 28 times the area of Manhattan, or 16 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Lisbon, by comparison, equals about 14,000 American football fields, 50 times the area of Monaco, or 29 times the area of Central Park.
Johannesburg, colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg or "The City of Gold", is the most populous city in South Africa. The City of Johannesburg itself has a population of 5,538,596, while the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality has a population of 6,599,190, making it one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, and seat of the country's highest court, the Constitutional Court.
Known as "Jozi", Johannesburg covers 1,644 km² with a population of 4.8 million. The city was established in 1886. Johannesburg is known for Apartheid Museum, Soweto township, Constitutional Court, among other attractions.
Johannesburg ranks among the world's 100 largest urban areas, with a metro population of about 6.6 million.
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. The city dates back to 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.
Johannesburg has a population density of 2,920 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Lisbon, with 5,500 people per km², is a densely populated city. Lisbon is noticeably denser, packing 1.9 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Lisbon fits inside Johannesburg ~16 times
Density Gap
Lisbon is 1.9x more densely populated
History
Lisbon is ~3,086 years older
Johannesburg covers 1,644 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Bogotá (1,578 km²), London (1,572 km²), Bangkok (1,569 km²), Houston (1,725 km²), or São Paulo (1,521 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 Johannesburg to Lisbon is 8,190 km (5,089 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 8m.
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