Lisbon
100 km²
Nairobi
696 km²
Portugal
Kenya
Area Comparison
Lisbon is 7.0x smaller than Nairobi
Population Comparison
Lisbon has 8.6x fewer people than Nairobi
Nairobi is significantly larger, covering 7.0 times the area of Lisbon. Nairobi spans 696 km² (269 mi²) while Lisbon covers 100 km² (39 mi²) — a difference of 596 km². You could fit Lisbon inside Nairobi approximately 6 times.
To put Lisbon's size in perspective, its area of 100 km² is roughly the same size as Paris (city proper). Meanwhile, Nairobi at 696 km² is about 1.1x smaller than New York City.
Lisbon's footprint is roughly about 14,000 American football fields, 50 times the area of Monaco, or 29 times the area of Central Park — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Nairobi, by comparison, equals about 97,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 times the area of Paris.
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.
Known as "City of Seven Hills", Lisbon covers 100 km² with a population of 0.6 million. The city was founded around 1200 BC. Lisbon is known for Belém Tower, Jerónimos Monastery, Tram 28, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Lisbon Metro.
Lisbon is mainland Europe's westernmost capital city and the only European capital along the Atlantic coast.
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya, located in the south-central part of the country. As of 2024, it has a population of 4.8 million and a metropolitan population of 5.7 million, making it the 11th most populous city in Africa. Nicknamed the "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi is uniquely notable for being the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries. Its name originates from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, meaning "place of cool waters".
Often called "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi has an area of 696 km² and is home to 4.7 million people. It was established in 1899. Visitors come for Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Nairobi Commuter Rail.
Nairobi is the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries.
Looking beyond city limits, the Lisbon metropolitan area covers 3,015 km², which is 4.3x larger than greater Nairobi at 696 km². The Nairobi metro area is also more populous, with 4.7 million people compared to 2.9 million.
Lisbon has a population density of 5,500 people per km² — a densely populated city. Nairobi, with 6,796 people per km², is a densely populated city. Both cities have comparable density, though Nairobi is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — Lisbon in Europe versus Nairobi in Africa. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Lisbon has a Mediterranean climate while Nairobi experiences subtropical highland conditions. When it's noon in Nairobi, it's 9:00 AM in Lisbon — a 3-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Lisbon fits inside Nairobi ~6 times
Time Difference
3 hours apart
History
Lisbon is ~3,099 years older
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).
Nairobi covers 696 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Tehran (730 km²), Jakarta (662 km²), Singapore (733 km²), Bangalore (741 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Lisbon to Nairobi is 6,463 km (4,016 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~8h 6m.
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