Lisbon
100 km²
Sydney
12,368 km²
Portugal
Australia
Area Comparison
Lisbon is 123.7x smaller than Sydney
Population Comparison
Lisbon has 9.7x fewer people than Sydney
Sydney is significantly larger, covering 123.7 times the area of Lisbon. Sydney spans 12,368 km² (4,775 mi²) while Lisbon covers 100 km² (39 mi²) — a difference of 12,268 km². You could fit Lisbon inside Sydney approximately 123 times.
To put Lisbon's size in perspective, its area of 100 km² is roughly the same size as Paris (city proper). Meanwhile, Sydney at 12,368 km² is about 2.0x the size of Shanghai.
In more relatable units, Lisbon's 100 km² is about 14,000 American football fields, 50 times the area of Monaco, or 29 times the area of Central Park. For Sydney, that's about 1,700,000 American football fields, 120 times the area of Paris, or 100 times the area of San Francisco.
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.
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.
Often called "Sydneysiders", Sydney has an area of 12,368 km² and is home to 5.3 million people. The city dates 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 4.1x larger than greater Lisbon at 3,015 km². The Sydney metro area is also more populous, with 5.3 million people compared to 2.9 million.
Lisbon has a population density of 5,500 people per km² — a densely populated city. Sydney, with 429 people per km², is a low-density, sprawling urban area. Lisbon is dramatically more crowded, with 12.8x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Lisbon in Europe versus Sydney in Oceania. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Lisbon has a Mediterranean climate while Sydney experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in Sydney, it's 2:00 AM in Lisbon — a 10-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Lisbon fits inside Sydney ~123 times
Density Gap
Lisbon is 12.8x more densely populated
Time Difference
10 hours apart
History
Lisbon is ~2,988 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).
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 Lisbon to Sydney is 18,177 km (11,295 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~21h 53m.
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