Rio de Janeiro
1,221 km²
Shanghai
6,341 km²
Brazil
China
Area Comparison
Rio de Janeiro is 5.2x smaller than Shanghai
Population Comparison
Rio de Janeiro has 3.7x fewer people than Shanghai
In terms of area, Shanghai is 5.2x the size of Rio de Janeiro. Shanghai spans 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) while Rio de Janeiro covers 1,221 km² (471 mi²) — a difference of 5,120 km². You could fit Rio de Janeiro inside Shanghai approximately 5 times.
To put Rio de Janeiro's size in perspective, its area of 1,221 km² is about 1.3x smaller than London. Meanwhile, Shanghai at 6,341 km² is about 1.5x the size of Los Angeles metro.
In more relatable units, Rio de Janeiro's 1,221 km² is about 171,000 American football fields, 21 times the area of Manhattan, or 12 times the area of Paris. Shanghai works out to about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 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.
Shanghai is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. It has a population of 29,558,908 in the urban area as of 2025. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River bisecting the city. Shanghai is a global center for finance, business and economics, research, science and technology, manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and culture. The Port of Shanghai is the world's busiest container port.
Also known as "Pearl of the Orient", Shanghai has an area of 6,341 km² and is home to 24.9 million people. Its history stretches back to 1291. Visitors come for The Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shanghai Metro.
Shanghai's urban population reached 29.5 million in 2025, making it the most populous urban area in all of China.
Looking beyond city limits, the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area covers 6,744 km², which is 1.1x larger than greater Shanghai at 6,341 km². The Shanghai metro area is also more populous, with 28.5 million people compared to 13.5 million.
Rio de Janeiro has a population density of 5,528 people per km² — a densely populated city. Shanghai, with 3,922 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Both cities have comparable density, though Rio de Janeiro is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — Rio de Janeiro in South America versus Shanghai in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Rio de Janeiro has a tropical savanna climate while Shanghai experiences humid subtropical conditions. Winters differ dramatically: Rio de Janeiro stays around 21°C while Shanghai drops to 5°C. When it's noon in Shanghai, it's 1:00 AM in Rio de Janeiro — a 11-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Rio de Janeiro fits inside Shanghai ~5 times
Density Gap
Rio de Janeiro is 1.4x more densely populated
Time Difference
11 hours apart
History
Shanghai is ~274 years older
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).
Shanghai covers 6,341 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Perth (6,417 km²), Istanbul (5,461 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), or Dubai (4,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from Rio de Janeiro to Shanghai is 18,238 km (11,333 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~21h 57m.
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