Buenos Aires vs São Paulo - City Size Comparison

Is Buenos Aires Bigger Than São Paulo?

In terms of area, São Paulo is 7.5x the size of Buenos Aires. São Paulo spans 1,521 km² (587 mi²) while Buenos Aires covers 203 km² (78 mi²) — a difference of 1,318 km². You could fit Buenos Aires inside São Paulo approximately 7 times.

About Buenos Aires

Argentina's capital and a cultural powerhouse of South America. Known as "The Paris of South America", Buenos Aires covers 203 km² with a population of 3.1 million. The city was established in 1536. Buenos Aires is known for Tango dancing, La Boca neighborhood, Recoleta Cemetery, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Buenos Aires Subte.

Buenos Aires has more bookstores per capita than any other city in the world

About São Paulo

Brazil's largest city and financial center. Often called "Sampa", São Paulo has an area of 1,521 km² and is home to 12.3 million people. It was established in 1554. Visitors come for Paulista Avenue, Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo Museum of Art, and much more. Getting around is easy with the São Paulo Metro.

São Paulo has the largest Japanese community outside Japan

Metropolitan Area Comparison

Looking beyond city limits, the São Paulo metropolitan area covers 7,947 km², which is 1.7x larger than greater Buenos Aires at 4,758 km². The São Paulo metro area is also more populous, with 22.0 million people compared to 15.2 million.

Population Density

Buenos Aires has a population density of 15,074 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. São Paulo, with 8,107 people per km², is a densely populated city. Buenos Aires is noticeably denser, packing 1.9 times more people per square kilometer.

Climate & Time Zone

Both cities share a humid subtropical climate, though local geography creates distinct microclimates in each.