Paris vs Berlin — true size compared
Berlin is about 8.46× the area of Paris — a difference of roughly 786.3 km² (304 sq mi). You could fit Paris inside Berlin about 8 times.
The City of Paris is just 105.4 km² (40.7 sq mi) — one of the most compact major capitals in Europe.
Berlin covers 891.7 km² (344.3 sq mi), Germany's largest city by both area and population.
Overlay Paris and Berlin on the map →
Why maps make Paris and Berlin look wrong
Almost every web map — Google Maps, Apple Maps, OpenStreetMap — uses the Mercator projection. Mercator preserves shape locally, but it stretches land the further you get from the equator. Greenland ends up looking bigger than Africa. Alaska rivals the contiguous US. That's why Paris and Berlin can look similar on a world map even when one is many times larger. The only fair way to compare is to lift one outline off the map and drop it on top of the other at true scale.
Quick facts
- Paris: 105.4 km² · 41 sq mi
- Berlin: 891.7 km² · 344 sq mi
- Ratio: Berlin is 8.46× Paris
- Absolute difference: 786.3 km² (304 sq mi)
- Paris fits inside Berlin ~8 times
Frequently asked
Is Paris bigger than Berlin?
Berlin is the bigger of the two, at 891.7 km² compared to 105.4 km² for Paris.
How many times does Paris fit inside Berlin?
About 8 times — the exact ratio is 8.46×.
Why does the map exaggerate one of them?
Mercator projection. Places far from the equator get visually stretched. Overlay the two at true scale to see the honest comparison.