Nairobi
696 km²
Sydney
12,368 km²
Kenya
Australia
Area Comparison
Nairobi is 17.8x smaller than Sydney
Population Comparison
Nairobi has 1.1x fewer people than Sydney
In terms of area, Sydney is 17.8x the size of Nairobi. Sydney spans 12,368 km² (4,775 mi²) while Nairobi covers 696 km² (269 mi²) — a difference of 11,672 km². You could fit Nairobi inside Sydney approximately 17 times.
To put Nairobi's size in perspective, its area of 696 km² is about 1.1x smaller than New York City. Meanwhile, Sydney at 12,368 km² is about 2.0x the size of Shanghai.
Nairobi's footprint is roughly about 97,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. 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.
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".
Known as "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi covers 696 km² with a population of 4.7 million. The city was established in 1899. Nairobi is known for Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Nairobi Commuter Rail.
Nairobi is the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries.
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 17.8x larger than greater Nairobi at 696 km². The Sydney metro area is also more populous, with 5.3 million people compared to 4.7 million.
Nairobi has a population density of 6,796 people per km² — a densely populated city. Sydney, with 429 people per km², is a low-density, sprawling urban area. Nairobi is dramatically more crowded, with 15.8x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Nairobi in Africa versus Sydney in Oceania. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Nairobi has a subtropical highland climate while Sydney experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in Sydney, it's 5:00 AM in Nairobi — a 7-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Nairobi fits inside Sydney ~17 times
Density Gap
Nairobi is 15.8x more densely populated
Time Difference
7 hours apart
History
Sydney is ~111 years older
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).
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 Nairobi to Sydney is 12,151 km (7,551 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~14h 48m.
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