Moscow
2,511 km²
Sydney
12,368 km²
Russia
Australia
Area Comparison
Moscow is 4.9x smaller than Sydney
Population Comparison
Moscow has 2.4x more people than Sydney
Yes — Sydney is 4.9x larger than Moscow by area. Sydney spans 12,368 km² (4,775 mi²) while Moscow covers 2,511 km² (970 mi²) — a difference of 9,857 km². You could fit Moscow inside Sydney approximately 4 times.
To put Moscow's size in perspective, its area of 2,511 km² is roughly the same size as Luxembourg. Meanwhile, Sydney at 12,368 km² is about 2.0x the size of Shanghai.
Picture Moscow another way: its area is large enough to fit about 352,000 American football fields, 42 times the area of Manhattan, or 24 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.
Moscow is the capital and largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents within the city limits, over 19.1 million residents in the urban area, and over 21.5 million residents in its metropolitan area. The city covers an area of 2,511 square kilometers (970 mi2), while the urban area covers 5,891 square kilometers (2,275 mi2), and the metropolitan area covers over 26,000 square kilometers (10,000 mi2).
Known as "Third Rome", Moscow covers 2,511 km² with a population of 12.5 million. The city was established in 1147. Moscow is known for Red Square, Kremlin, Saint Basil's Cathedral, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Moscow Metro.
Moscow's metropolitan area covers over 26,000 square kilometers, making it one of the largest metropolitan footprints in Europe.
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. It was established in 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 2.1x larger than greater Moscow at 5,891 km². The Moscow metro area is also more populous, with 17.1 million people compared to 5.3 million.
Moscow has a population density of 4,994 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Sydney, with 429 people per km², is a low-density, sprawling urban area. Moscow is dramatically more crowded, with 11.6x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Moscow in Europe versus Sydney in Oceania. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Moscow has a humid continental climate while Sydney experiences humid subtropical conditions. Winters differ dramatically: Sydney stays around 13°C while Moscow drops to -8°C. When it's noon in Sydney, it's 5:00 AM in Moscow — a 7-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Moscow fits inside Sydney ~4 times
Density Gap
Moscow is 11.6x more densely populated
Time Difference
7 hours apart
History
Moscow is ~641 years older
Moscow covers 2,511 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Cape Town (2,455 km²), Lima (2,672 km²), Tokyo (2,194 km²), Ho Chi Minh City (2,061 km²), or Cairo (3,085 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 Moscow to Sydney is 14,496 km (9,007 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~17h 33m.
Want to explore more? Compare city sizes for any two cities worldwide, or share your location live with friends.