Think twice.
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Sao Paulo at 30/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than Brazil's national picture overall (54/100 vs 58/100).
City page · part of Brazil
The one number a country page can't give you
What people who actually live in Sao Paulo report
Numbeo aggregates thousands of resident-submitted perception surveys into a per-city Crime Index (higher = worse) and its inverse, a Safety Index — the only real city-granularity crime signal feeding this page, alongside Brazil's national advisory, political, health, and police-trust data.
Crime Index
69.8
Safety Index
30.2
The breakdown behind the number
What residents specifically worry about
Numbeo's own category breakdown — note some rows are framed as a worry/problem (higher = worse) and some as a safety rating (higher = better); read the label, not just the number.
Sub-scores
Same real inputs as Brazil's national page, with crime swapped for Sao Paulo's own Numbeo number above.
Local know-how
Staying safe in Sao Paulo, specifically
- • Crime: São Paulo, once one of the most violent cities in Brazil, has managed to drastically reduce crime during the 2000s.
- • Unfortunately, that doesn't mean that a visitor can really relax about safety, because São Paulo is simply too large and diverse to be described by average statistics.
- • Visitors should avoid walking in deserted areas at night, or at least avoid walking alone.
Legal status (national law)
Legal since 1830+ UN decl. sign.
Source: Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country →Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
C / N · 127V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 190 / ambulance: 192 / fire: 193
Tipping
While tips can sometimes be given for some services, delivery or tourism, tips are very uncommon. It is usually not expected in cabs, although rounding up the fare occasionally takes place. Many restaurants include a 10% delivery charge in the note, with no further tips being required. Such a charge often depends on the municipality. Tipping bartenders is not customary.
SIM / Data
Brazil has international telephone code 55 and two-digit area codes, and phone numbers are eight or nine digits long. Some areas used seven digits until 2006, meaning you might still find some old phone numbers which won't work unless you add another digit. (Mostly, try adding 2 or 3 at the beginning, or if it's an eight-digit number starting with 6 to 9 try adding a 9 at the beginning).
Cash vs. Card
A majority of Brazilian businesses accept major credit/debit cards. However, quite a few online stores only accept cards issued in Brazil, even though they have the international logo of such cards. When you pay using card commonly you will hear the question: "Crédito ou débito?" ("Credit or debit?").
How this compares to Brazil
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Sao Paulo at 30/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than Brazil's national picture overall (54/100 vs 58/100).
See the full Brazil page and all receipts →