As the largest city in Brazil, São Paulo has long been an electrifying destination for travelers. It’s a megacity that features a fusion of world-class food, art, nightlife—and, according to a new report, it could be the best bang for your airfare bucks in 2026.
According to a report released by the travel search engine Skyscanner (which also includes other lists such as the most-searched destinations), São Paulo saw the biggest drop in airfare prices from the United States—down a whopping 29 percent—in 2025 compared to 2024.
Among the other nine cities on Skyscanner’s “Best Value Destinations” ranking, four are in Europe, four are in Asia, and one is in Latin America.
Skyscanner’s report is based on the percentage drop for economy class round-trip flights booked between January 1, 2025 and June 30, 2025 for travel throughout 2025, compared to the same period in 2024.
“We’re likely seeing cheaper fares to these destinations thanks to a couple of key shifts: new routes opening up and more frequent services from low-cost carriers,” Skyscanner says in the report. “For example, new daily direct routes have started recently from Miami and Philadelphia to Italy.”
According to the report, São Paulo—besides having the most significant decrease in flight prices—is also a good value because it “offers a more affordable experience compared to many major North American and European cities. It features unique neighborhoods, a diverse culinary scene, world‑class museums (like Museu de Arte de São Paulo’s stunning new tower), iconic parks, and vibrant nightlife.”
Here’s Skyscanner’s list of best value cities, based on airfare decreases.
10 destinations with the biggest airfare drops
- São Paulo, Brazil: 29 percent price drop
- Singapore: 25 percent price drop
- Venice, Italy: 21 percent price drop
- Mexico City, Mexico: 19 percent price drop
- Istanbul, Türkiye: 18 percent price drop
- Denpasar, Indonesia: 17 percent price drop
- Colombo, Sri Lanka: 15 percent price drop
- Brussels, Belgium: 14 percent price drop
- Seoul, South Korea: 14 percent price drop
- Naples, Italy: 14 percent price drop
Why now is the time to visit São Paulo, Brazil
The year 2025 has been a big one for São Paulo. The Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP)unveiled a long-awaited 14-story expansion that has already featured works by Renoir and Monet. American Airlines increased seasonal service between Dallas/Fort Worth and São Paulo by nearly double, while Etihad Airways and Royal Air Maroc announced plans to begin service to the city. São Paulo also saw the opening of a handful of new luxury hotels in 2025, including the 179-room W São Paulo and the 187-room Westin São Paulo.
Things to do in São Paulo
Begin your exploration of São Paulo Avenida Paulista, a mile-and-a-half-long stretch of cultural institutions, shops, and public art. Once lined with the mansions of coffee barons, it’s now home to major museums and community cultural centers like Sesc Paulista. Every Sunday, Avenida Paulista closes to cars and becomes a pedestrian boulevard with musicians performing on street corners and food vendors doling out fresh sugarcane juice.
Another good starting point is the Pinacoteca do Estado, a straightforward, well-curated museum focused on Brazilian art in a restored brick building across from the city’s central rail station. From there, it’s an easy walk to the Museum of the Portuguese Language, where interactive exhibits break down how immigration and language shaped modern São Paulo. Or head to Ibirapuera Park, where the Oca and Bienal pavilions (both designed by modernist Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer) regularly host major exhibitions and events. Though it’s worth mentioning that the best art in São Paulo often isn’t tucked away in museums. Murals climb the sides of apartment blocks, while entire alleys, like Beco do Batman (Batman’s Alley) in the Vila Madalena neighborhood, function as evolving open-air galleries, and young artists carve out space in repurposed warehouses for pop-up exhibitions.
The food scene here is also one of the most varied in South America, having been shaped by waves of immigration—it’s common to find Japanese udon shops, Lebanese pastry counters, Italian cantinas, and Amazon-inspired fine dining all within a few blocks of each other. Street food culture is strong—pastel, caldo de cana, grilled queijo on sticks—and so is the tradition of per kilo restaurants, where you pay by weight instead of course. And in a single day, you can elbow through Mercado Municipal for a comically overstuffed mortadella sandwich at lunch, then sit down to dinner at a Michelin-starred spot like D.O.M., Alex Atala’s two-star restaurant where the tasting menu turns Amazonian ingredients (like yellow sea bass cooked in banana leaf and sweet cassava flour crumble) into multicourse tasting menus.
São Paulo is also a gateway to exploring the surrounding areas, including Santos and Guarujá, two coastal cities, and Campos do Jordão, a popular mountain town.
