Shanghai
6,341 km²
Sydney
12,368 km²
China
Australia
Area Comparison
Shanghai is 2.0x smaller than Sydney
Population Comparison
Shanghai has 4.7x more people than Sydney
In terms of area, Sydney is 2.0x the size of Shanghai. Sydney spans 12,368 km² (4,775 mi²) while Shanghai covers 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) — a difference of 6,027 km².
To put Shanghai's size in perspective, its area of 6,341 km² is about 1.5x the size of Los Angeles metro. Meanwhile, Sydney at 12,368 km² is about 2.0x the size of Shanghai.
In more relatable units, Shanghai's 6,341 km² is about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 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.
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.
Known as "Pearl of the Orient", Shanghai covers 6,341 km² with a population of 24.9 million. The city was established in 1291. Shanghai is known for The Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Shanghai Metro.
Shanghai's urban population reached 29.5 million in 2025, making it the most populous urban area in all of China.
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.
Also known as "Sydneysiders", Sydney has an area of 12,368 km² and is home to 5.3 million people. It was established in 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 2.0x larger than greater Shanghai at 6,341 km². The Shanghai metro area is also more populous, with 28.5 million people compared to 5.3 million.
Shanghai has a population density of 3,922 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Sydney, with 429 people per km², is a low-density, sprawling urban area. Shanghai is dramatically more crowded, with 9.1x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Shanghai in Asia 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 10:00 AM in Shanghai — a 2-hour time difference.
Density Gap
Shanghai is 9.1x more densely populated
History
Shanghai is ~497 years older
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).
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 Shanghai to Sydney is 7,881 km (4,897 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~9h 46m.
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