Madrid
604 km²
Sydney
12,368 km²
Spain
Australia
Area Comparison
Madrid is 20.5x smaller than Sydney
Population Comparison
Madrid has 1.6x fewer people than Sydney
In terms of area, Sydney is 20.5x the size of Madrid. Sydney spans 12,368 km² (4,775 mi²) while Madrid covers 604 km² (233 mi²) — a difference of 11,764 km². You could fit Madrid inside Sydney approximately 20 times.
To put Madrid's size in perspective, its area of 604 km² is roughly the same size as Seoul. Meanwhile, Sydney at 12,368 km² is about 2.0x the size of Shanghai.
Madrid's footprint is roughly about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 times the area of Manhattan — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Sydney works out to about 1,700,000 American football fields, 120 times the area of Paris, or 100 times the area of San Francisco.
Madrid is the capital and most populous city of Spain. It had a population of over 3.4 million in the city proper in 2025, and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.8 million. Madrid is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), after Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the second-largest in the EU, after Paris. The municipality covers an area of 605.77 square kilometres (233.89 sq mi).
Known as "La Villa y Corte", Madrid covers 604 km² with a population of 3.3 million. The city was established in 852. Madrid is known for Royal Palace of Madrid, Prado Museum, Plaza Mayor, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Madrid Metro.
Madrid is the second-largest city in the European Union after Berlin, with over 3.4 million residents in the city proper
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.
Also known as "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 1.5x larger than greater Madrid at 8,028 km². The Madrid metro area is also more populous, with 6.8 million people compared to 5.3 million.
Madrid has a population density of 5,513 people per km² — a densely populated city. Sydney, with 429 people per km², is a low-density, sprawling urban area. Madrid is dramatically more crowded, with 12.9x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Madrid in Europe versus Sydney in Oceania. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Madrid has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate while Sydney experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in Sydney, it's 3:00 AM in Madrid — a 9-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Madrid fits inside Sydney ~20 times
Density Gap
Madrid is 12.9x more densely populated
Time Difference
9 hours apart
History
Madrid is ~936 years older
Madrid covers 604 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Seoul (605 km²), Mumbai (603 km²), Chicago (606 km²), Toronto (630 km²), or Hyderabad (650 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 Madrid to Sydney is 17,685 km (10,989 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~21h 18m.
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