---
title: "City bus vs semi truck — size, weight and speed compared"
description: "Semi truck is somewhat greater than city bus on weight — about 1.1×. Compared on 5 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/city-bus-vs-semi-truck/
site: "At One Place"
---

# City bus vs Semi truck

**City bus vs semi truck: Semi truck is larger on weight**

Semi truck is somewhat greater than city bus on weight — about 1.1×.

A city bus and a semi truck can be compared on 5 measures. The figures below are typical adult or full-size values, with the larger of the two in bold.

## Side by side

*Larger value in bold. Ranges reflect genuine variation, not uncertainty.*

|  | City bus | Semi truck |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight | 11,000–20,000 kg | 12,000–36,290 kg |
| Height | 300–340 cm | 390–430 cm |
| Length | 900–1,875 cm | 1,600–2,525 cm |
| Width | 250–260 cm | 260 cm |
| Typical cost | 450,000–1,300,000 $ | 120,000–220,000 $ |

## What the numbers say

- Semi truck is somewhat greater than city bus on weight — about 1.1×.
- Semi truck is somewhat greater than city bus on height — about 1.3×.
- Semi truck is 1.8× city bus on length.
- City bus and semi truck are near enough identical on width.
- City bus is 3.8× semi truck on typical cost.

*Weight compared.*

- Semi truck: 12,000–36,290 kg
- City bus: 11,000–20,000 kg

## City bus

A low-floor bus built for urban stop-start service, typically 12 metres long.

## Semi truck

A tractor unit coupled to a semi-trailer through a fifth wheel, the standard long-haul road freight vehicle.

> This is a comparison of published measurements, nothing more. It describes how two things differ on measures that have been recorded; it does not predict how they would fare against each other in any situation.

## Common questions

### Which is bigger, city bus or semi truck?

Semi truck is somewhat greater than city bus on weight — about 1.1×. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

### How do city buses and semi trucks compare on height?

City bus: 300–340 cm. Semi truck: 390–430 cm. Semi truck is somewhat greater than city bus on height — about 1.3×.

### How do city buses and semi trucks compare on length?

City bus: 900–1,875 cm. Semi truck: 1,600–2,525 cm. Semi truck is 1.8× city bus on length.

## Related pages

- [Fire truck vs semi truck](https://atoneplace.net/vs/fire-truck-vs-semi-truck/)
- [City bus vs school bus](https://atoneplace.net/vs/city-bus-vs-school-bus/)
- [School bus vs semi truck](https://atoneplace.net/vs/school-bus-vs-semi-truck/)
- [City bus vs fire truck](https://atoneplace.net/vs/city-bus-vs-fire-truck/)
- [Double-decker bus vs semi truck](https://atoneplace.net/vs/double-decker-bus-vs-semi-truck/)
- [Garbage truck vs semi truck](https://atoneplace.net/vs/garbage-truck-vs-semi-truck/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)