São Paulo
1,521 km²
Shenzhen
1,997 km²
Brazil
China
Area Comparison
São Paulo is 1.3x smaller than Shenzhen
Population Comparison
São Paulo has 1.4x fewer people than Shenzhen
Shenzhen is significantly larger, covering 1.3 times the area of São Paulo. Shenzhen spans 1,997 km² (771 mi²) while São Paulo covers 1,521 km² (587 mi²) — a difference of 476 km².
To put São Paulo's size in perspective, its area of 1,521 km² is roughly the same size as London. Meanwhile, Shenzhen at 1,997 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper).
Picture São Paulo another way: its area is large enough to fit about 213,000 American football fields, 26 times the area of Manhattan, or 14 times the area of Paris. Shenzhen, by comparison, equals about 280,000 American football fields, 34 times the area of Manhattan, or 19 times the area of Paris.
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…
Known as "Sampa", São Paulo covers 1,521 km² with a population of 12.3 million. The city was established in 1554. São Paulo is known for Avenida Paulista, Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo Museum of Art, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the São Paulo Metro.
São Paulo is the most populous city in Brazil, the Americas, and both the Western and Southern Hemispheres.
Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong, bordering Hong Kong to the south, Dongguan to the north, Huizhou to the northeast, and Macau to the southwest. With a population of 17.5 million in 2020, Shenzhen is the third-most-populous city by urban population in China after Shanghai and Beijing.
Also known as "China's Silicon Valley", Shenzhen has an area of 1,997 km² and is home to 17.6 million people. Its history stretches back to 1979. Visitors come for Ping An Finance Centre, Window of the World, OCT Loft, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shenzhen Metro.
Shenzhen grew from a small town into China's third-most-populous urban city, hitting 17.5 million residents by 2020
Looking beyond city limits, the São Paulo metropolitan area covers 7,947 km², which is 4.0x larger than greater Shenzhen at 1,997 km². The São Paulo metro area is also more populous, with 22.0 million people compared to 17.6 million.
São Paulo has a population density of 8,107 people per km² — a densely populated city. Shenzhen, with 8,793 people per km², is a densely populated city. Both cities have comparable density, though Shenzhen is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — São Paulo in South America versus Shenzhen in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Both cities share a humid subtropical climate, though local geography creates distinct microclimates in each. When it's noon in Shenzhen, it's 1:00 AM in São Paulo — a 11-hour time difference.
Time Difference
11 hours apart
History
São Paulo is ~425 years older
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).
Shenzhen covers 1,997 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Ho Chi Minh City (2,061 km²), Tokyo (2,194 km²), Riyadh (1,798 km²), Houston (1,725 km²), or Johannesburg (1,644 km²).
The straight-line distance from São Paulo to Shenzhen is 18,038 km (11,208 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~21h 43m.
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