São Paulo or Shenzhen: which is better?
World city: head-to-head comparison
São Paulo wins on more indicators: 1 of 2 against 0.
- Climate and risks: São Paulo 1:0
All indicators weigh the same. This is a score based on data, not advice on where to live: different people have different circumstances.
São Paulo
Indicator
Shenzhen
Population
no winnerCity population
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
10,021,295 people
GeoNames snapshot (all-the-cities 3.1.0 package, 2022), exact date not stated
10,358,381 people
GeoNames snapshot (all-the-cities 3.1.0 package, 2022), exact date not stated
Urban centre population
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
19,485,158 people
2025
42,987,704 people
2025
Urban centre area
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
2,111 km²
2025
6,454 km²
2025
Urban centre density
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
9,230 people per km²
2025
6,661 people per km²
2025
Urban centre population growth, 2015–2025
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
1.6 %
2015–2025
9.8 %
2015–2025
Climate and risks
Better: São Paulo (1 : 0)Hot days (max ≥ +30 °C)
no data for one of the places
72 days per year
2016-2025
no data
Frost days (min ≤ −10 °C)
no data for one of the places
0 days per year
2016-2025
no data
Severe frost (min ≤ −20 °C)
no data for one of the places
0.0 days per year
2016-2025
no data
Ice days (max ≤ 0 °C)
no data for one of the places
0 days per year
2016-2025
no data
Heating degree days
no data for one of the places
150 °C·days per year
2016-2025
no data
Cooling degree days
no data for one of the places
1,330 °C·days per year
2016-2025
no data
Rainy days
no data for one of the places
no data
104 days per year
2016-2025
Annual precipitation
no data for one of the places
no data
1,902 mm per year
2016-2025
Daylight on December 21
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
13.6 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
10.8 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
Daylight on June 21
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
10.7 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
13.5 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
Air humidity
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
75 %
2021-2025
80 %
2021-2025
Muggy days (dew point ≥ +20 °C)
lower is better
✓13 days per year
2021-202594% lower
✗213 days per year
2021-20251503% higher
Distance to the sea
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
56 km
2006-2025
7 km
2006-2025
Earthquakes M4.5+ within 100 km
tie
0.00 per year
2006-2025
0.00 per year
2006-2025
A winner is named only for indicators with a known “better / worse” direction. Population and other neutral indicators are shown without a winner. Outdated and missing values are not counted. Details for each place: São Paulo, Shenzhen.