Rio de Janeiro
1,221 km²
Xi'an
10,097 km²
Brazil
People's Republic of China
Area Comparison
Rio de Janeiro is 8.3x smaller than Xi'an
Population Comparison
Rio de Janeiro has 1.9x fewer people than Xi'an
Yes — Xi'an is 8.3x larger than Rio de Janeiro by area. Xi'an spans 10,097 km² (3,898 mi²) while Rio de Janeiro covers 1,221 km² (471 mi²) — a difference of 8,876 km². You could fit Rio de Janeiro inside Xi'an approximately 8 times.
To put Rio de Janeiro's size in perspective, its area of 1,221 km² is about 1.3x smaller than London. Meanwhile, Xi'an at 10,097 km² is about 1.6x the size of Shanghai.
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. Xi'an, by comparison, equals about 1,400,000 American football fields, 170 times the area of Manhattan, or 96 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.
Xi'an is the capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the third-most populous city in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populous city in Northwestern China. Its total population was 12.95 million in the 2020 census, including an urban population of 9.28 million.
Also known as "Ancient Capital", Xi'an has an area of 10,097 km² and is home to 12.9 million people. Visitors come for Terracotta Army, Xi'an City Wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and much more.
Xi'an's 2020 census recorded 12.95 million residents, making it the most populous city in Northwestern China.
Rio de Janeiro has a population density of 5,528 people per km² — a densely populated city. Xi'an, with 1,283 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Rio de Janeiro is dramatically more crowded, with 4.3x the population density.
Size Ratio
Rio de Janeiro fits inside Xi'an ~8 times
Density Gap
Rio de Janeiro is 4.3x 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).
Xi'an covers 10,097 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Melbourne (9,993 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), Sydney (12,368 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), or Chengdu (14,378 km²).
The straight-line distance from Rio de Janeiro to Xi'an is 17,027 km (10,580 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~20h 32m.
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