Johannesburg
1,644 km²
Rio de Janeiro
1,221 km²
1,644 km²
1,221 km²
South Africa
Brazil
Area Comparison
Johannesburg is 1.3x larger than Rio de Janeiro
Population Comparison
Johannesburg has 1.4x fewer people than Rio de Janeiro
In terms of area, Johannesburg is 1.3x the size of Rio de Janeiro. Johannesburg spans 1,644 km² (635 mi²) while Rio de Janeiro covers 1,221 km² (471 mi²) — a difference of 423 km².
To put Johannesburg's size in perspective, its area of 1,644 km² is roughly the same size as London. Meanwhile, Rio de Janeiro at 1,221 km² is about 1.3x smaller than London.
In more relatable units, Johannesburg's 1,644 km² is about 230,000 American football fields, 28 times the area of Manhattan, or 16 times the area of Paris. Rio de Janeiro works out to about 171,000 American football fields, 21 times the area of Manhattan, or 12 times the area of Paris.
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.
Rio de Janeiro, also known simply as Rio, is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the second-most-populous city in Brazil after São Paulo and the sixth-most-populous city in the Americas.
Nicknamed "Cidade Maravilhosa", Rio de Janeiro has an area of 1,221 km² and is home to 6.8 million people. It was established in 1565. Visitors come for Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana beach, and much more. Getting around is easy with the MetrôRio.
Rio de Janeiro is the second-most-populous city in Brazil after São Paulo and the sixth-most-populous in the Americas.
Johannesburg has a population density of 2,920 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Rio de Janeiro, with 5,528 people per km², is a densely populated city. Rio de Janeiro is noticeably denser, packing 1.9 times more people per square kilometer.
Density Gap
Rio de Janeiro is 1.9x more densely populated
History
Rio de Janeiro is ~321 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).
Rio de Janeiro covers 1,221 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Antonio (1,209 km²), Lagos (1,172 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), Los Angeles (1,302 km²), or Hong Kong (1,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from Johannesburg to Rio de Janeiro is 7,119 km (4,424 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~8h 53m.
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