Rio de Janeiro
1,221 km²
São Paulo
1,521 km²
Brazil
Brazil
Area Comparison
Rio de Janeiro is 1.2x smaller than São Paulo
Population Comparison
Rio de Janeiro has 1.8x fewer people than São Paulo
In terms of area, São Paulo is 1.2x the size of Rio de Janeiro. São Paulo spans 1,521 km² (587 mi²) while Rio de Janeiro covers 1,221 km² (471 mi²) — a difference of 300 km².
To put Rio de Janeiro's size in perspective, its area of 1,221 km² is about 1.3x smaller than London. Meanwhile, São Paulo at 1,521 km² is roughly the same size as London.
Picture Rio de Janeiro another way: its area is large enough to fit about 171,000 American football fields, 21 times the area of Manhattan, or 12 times the area of Paris. São Paulo, by comparison, equals about 213,000 American football fields, 26 times the area of Manhattan, or 14 times the area of Paris.
Rio de Janeiro, also known simply as Rio, is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the second-most-populous city in Brazil after São Paulo and the sixth-most-populous city in the Americas.
Known as "Cidade Maravilhosa", Rio de Janeiro covers 1,221 km² with a population of 6.8 million. The city was established in 1565. Rio de Janeiro is known for Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana beach, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the MetrôRio.
Rio de Janeiro is the second-most-populous city in Brazil after São Paulo and the sixth-most-populous in the Americas.
São Paulo is the capital city of the state of the same name, as well as the most populous city in Brazil, South America, the Americas, and in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres. The city exerts international influence in commerce, finance, culture, gastronomy, arts, fashion, technology, entertainment and media, having been listed by UNESCO's Creative Cities Network as a "City of Film" and the title of "World Capital of Gastronomy", and by the Globalization and World Cities Research…
Nicknamed "Sampa", São Paulo has an area of 1,521 km² and is home to 12.3 million people. The city dates back to 1554. Visitors come for Avenida Paulista, Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo Museum of Art, and much more. Getting around is easy with the São Paulo Metro.
São Paulo is the most populous city in Brazil, the Americas, and both the Western and Southern Hemispheres.
Looking beyond city limits, the São Paulo metropolitan area covers 7,947 km², which is 1.2x larger than greater Rio de Janeiro at 6,744 km². The São Paulo metro area is also more populous, with 22.0 million people compared to 13.5 million.
Rio de Janeiro has a population density of 5,528 people per km² — a densely populated city. São Paulo, with 8,107 people per km², is a densely populated city. Both cities have comparable density, though São Paulo is slightly more compact.
Both Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo are in Brazil, making this a domestic size comparison that reveals how differently cities can develop within the same nation.
Rio de Janeiro has a tropical savanna climate while São Paulo experiences humid subtropical conditions.
Density Gap
São Paulo is 1.5x more densely populated
Rio de Janeiro covers 1,221 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Antonio (1,209 km²), Lagos (1,172 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), Los Angeles (1,302 km²), or Hong Kong (1,114 km²).
São Paulo covers 1,521 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Mexico City (1,485 km²), Delhi (1,484 km²), Bangkok (1,569 km²), London (1,572 km²), or Bogotá (1,578 km²).
The straight-line distance from Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo is 361 km (224 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~55m.
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