San Francisco
121 km²
São Paulo
1,521 km²
USA
Brazil
Area Comparison
San Francisco is 12.6x smaller than São Paulo
Population Comparison
San Francisco has 14.2x fewer people than São Paulo
In terms of area, São Paulo is 12.6x the size of San Francisco. São Paulo spans 1,521 km² (587 mi²) while San Francisco covers 121 km² (47 mi²) — a difference of 1,400 km². You could fit San Francisco inside São Paulo approximately 12 times.
To put San Francisco's size in perspective, its area of 121 km² is about 1.2x the size of Paris (city proper). Meanwhile, São Paulo at 1,521 km² is roughly the same size as London.
In more relatable units, San Francisco's 121 km² is about 17,000 American football fields, 60 times the area of Monaco, or 35 times the area of Central Park. For São Paulo, that's about 213,000 American football fields, 26 times the area of Manhattan, or 14 times the area of Paris.
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with a population of 826,079 in 2025. Among U.S. cities with a population of 300,000 or more, San Francisco is ranked first by per capita income, second by population density, and sixth by aggregate income as of 2023.
Known as "The City by the Bay", San Francisco covers 121 km² with a population of 0.9 million. The city was established in 1776. San Francisco is known for Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Cable cars, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the BART & Muni.
San Francisco ranks first by per capita income among all US cities with 300,000+ residents as of 2023.
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. Its history stretches 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 1.1x larger than greater San Francisco at 6,984 km². The São Paulo metro area is also more populous, with 22.0 million people compared to 4.7 million.
San Francisco has a population density of 7,190 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.
This comparison spans continents — San Francisco in North America versus São Paulo in South America. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
San Francisco has a Mediterranean climate while São Paulo experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in São Paulo, it's 7:00 AM in San Francisco — a 5-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
San Francisco fits inside São Paulo ~12 times
Time Difference
5 hours apart
History
São Paulo is ~222 years older
San Francisco covers 121 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Vancouver (115 km²), Paris (105 km²), Miami (143 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), or Lisbon (100 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 San Francisco to São Paulo is 10,434 km (6,483 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~12h 46m.
Want to explore more? Compare city sizes for any two cities worldwide, or share your location live with friends.