São Paulo
1,521 km²
Sydney
12,368 km²
Brazil
Australia
Area Comparison
São Paulo is 8.1x smaller than Sydney
Population Comparison
São Paulo has 2.3x more people than Sydney
Yes — Sydney is 8.1x larger than São Paulo by area. Sydney spans 12,368 km² (4,775 mi²) while São Paulo covers 1,521 km² (587 mi²) — a difference of 10,847 km². You could fit São Paulo inside Sydney approximately 8 times.
To put São Paulo's size in perspective, its area of 1,521 km² is roughly the same size as London. Meanwhile, Sydney at 12,368 km² is about 2.0x the size of Shanghai.
In more relatable units, São Paulo's 1,521 km² is about 213,000 American football fields, 26 times the area of Manhattan, or 14 times the area of Paris. Sydney works out to about 1,700,000 American football fields, 120 times the area of Paris, or 100 times the area of San Francisco.
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.
Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and is the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west, and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and the Hawkesbury River in the north and north-west, to the Royal National Park and Macarthur in the south and south-west.
Often called "Sydneysiders", Sydney has an area of 12,368 km² and is home to 5.3 million people. The city dates back to 1788. Visitors come for Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Sydney Trains.
Sydney stretches roughly 80 km from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west.
Looking beyond city limits, the Sydney metropolitan area covers 12,368 km², which is 1.6x larger than greater São Paulo at 7,947 km². The São Paulo metro area is also more populous, with 22.0 million people compared to 5.3 million.
São Paulo has a population density of 8,107 people per km² — a densely populated city. Sydney, with 429 people per km², is a low-density, sprawling urban area. São Paulo is dramatically more crowded, with 18.9x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — São Paulo in South America versus Sydney in Oceania. 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 Sydney, it's midnight in São Paulo — a 13-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
São Paulo fits inside Sydney ~8 times
Density Gap
São Paulo is 18.9x more densely populated
Time Difference
13 hours apart
History
São Paulo is ~234 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).
Sydney covers 12,368 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chengdu (14,378 km²), Xi'an (10,097 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), or Beijing (16,411 km²).
The straight-line distance from São Paulo to Sydney is 13,357 km (8,300 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~16h 13m.
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