Lagos
1,172 km²
Sydney
12,368 km²
Nigeria
Australia
Area Comparison
Lagos is 10.6x smaller than Sydney
Population Comparison
Lagos has 2.9x more people than Sydney
Yes — Sydney is 10.6x larger than Lagos by area. Sydney spans 12,368 km² (4,775 mi²) while Lagos covers 1,172 km² (453 mi²) — a difference of 11,196 km². You could fit Lagos inside Sydney approximately 10 times.
To put Lagos's size in perspective, its area of 1,172 km² is about 1.3x the size of Berlin. Meanwhile, Sydney at 12,368 km² is about 2.0x the size of Shanghai.
In more relatable units, Lagos's 1,172 km² is about 164,000 American football fields, 20 times the area of Manhattan, or 11 times the area of Paris. Sydney, by comparison, equals about 1,700,000 American football fields, 120 times the area of Paris, or 100 times the area of San Francisco.
Lagos, or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan port city in southwestern Nigeria. As of November 2025, the size of the city's population has been estimated to be between 17 and 21 million residents, making Lagos the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and one of the fastest-growing megacities in the world.
Known as "Lasgidi", Lagos covers 1,172 km² with a population of 15.4 million. The city was established in 1472. Lagos is known for Victoria Island, Lekki Conservation Centre, Nike Art Gallery, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Lagos Rail (Blue & Red Lines).
Lagos is the most populous urban area on the African continent, with an estimated 17 to 21 million residents as of 2025.
Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and is the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west, and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and the Hawkesbury River in the north and north-west, to the Royal National Park and Macarthur in the south and south-west.
Nicknamed "Sydneysiders", Sydney has an area of 12,368 km² and is home to 5.3 million people. Its history stretches back to 1788. Visitors come for Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Sydney Trains.
Sydney stretches roughly 80 km from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west.
Looking beyond city limits, the Sydney metropolitan area covers 12,368 km², which is 4.6x larger than greater Lagos at 2,706 km². The Lagos metro area is also more populous, with 21.0 million people compared to 5.3 million.
Lagos has a population density of 13,131 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Sydney, with 429 people per km², is a low-density, sprawling urban area. Lagos is dramatically more crowded, with 30.6x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Lagos in Africa versus Sydney in Oceania. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Lagos has a tropical savanna climate while Sydney experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in Sydney, it's 3:00 AM in Lagos — a 9-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Lagos fits inside Sydney ~10 times
Density Gap
Lagos is 30.6x more densely populated
Time Difference
9 hours apart
History
Lagos is ~316 years older
Lagos covers 1,172 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Antonio (1,209 km²), Rio de Janeiro (1,221 km²), Hong Kong (1,114 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), or Los Angeles (1,302 km²).
Sydney covers 12,368 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chengdu (14,378 km²), Xi'an (10,097 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), or Beijing (16,411 km²).
The straight-line distance from Lagos to Sydney is 15,524 km (9,646 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~18h 46m.
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