Brazil · Brazil

São Paulo

indicative score

6.61 / 10

Onde Viver Bem · updated November 10, 2026

Technical notes for this page

Updated November 10, 2026. Indicative score. Weights: entertainment 11.73% (destinations and venues within 50 km); bars 3.73%; safety 15% with a penalty; water at country level; land price per m² = official source (ITBI, Terracap, registries, valuations) or listings with a caveat · coverage 100%

São Paulo has an indicative score of 6.61/10 in the Brazil ranking of Onde Viver Bem, updated November 10, 2026. The strongest published variables are Airport (10.00), Culture (10.00) and Entertainment (9.76); the weakest are Clean air (0.00), Safety (2.62) and Bars (4.50). The scores are indicative. Cost of living and the land price per m² are not part of the score.

São Paulo: view of the city — São Paulo. Photo: Thomas Hobbs, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

safety: feeling of safety at national level only (Gallup)

Land price per m²

R$ 1,029/m² P25–P75 R$ 537–R$ 1,840 · n=1296

ITBI São Paulo — median of land plots 2024 (Wayback copy of the SMF portal)

Score breakdown

Each criterion's score, its weight in the total and the raw figure, linked to its source.

Safety · score 2.62 · weight 15.00% · sources: homicidios_100k_local (22.01) · homicidios_100k_agressoes_br (3.12) · roubo_razao_cidade_pais (1.78) · sensacao_seguranca_noite_pct (51)

raw: 22.01 per 100k pop. · 40% violent deaths (log 30→0, 0.5→10 per 100k) + 30% city robbery ÷ country average (log 5×→0, 0.5×→10) + 30% share who feel safe at night (lin 30%→0, 95%→10); any part without data: weights renormalized

Composite safety: violent deaths 22.0 per 100k → 0.8 (weight 40%) · robbery 1.78× the country average (municipality of São Paulo, 2024) → 4.5 (weight 30%) · 51.0% feel safe walking alone at night (Brazil (national), 2024) → 3.2 (weight 30%).

Beach / mountains · score 7.16 · weight 11.59% · sources: km_ate_praia_osm (30.0) · km_ate_relevo_montanhoso (40.0) · osm_cachoeiras_50km (64.0) · osm_areas_protegidas_50km (51.0) · osm_trilhas_rota_50km (5.0) · osm_mirantes_50km (71.0)

raw: 30.0 km · beach: distance log 5 km→10, 150 km→0; mountains: richness of nature leisure (mean of the top 3 of 4 counts, 50 km) × access (1 up to 15 km → 0 at 150 km, log), 0 with no relief; score = min(10, max(beach, mountains) + 0.3·min)

Water · score 8.86 · weight 9.94% · sources: wb_estresse_hidrico_pais (1.496) · wb_agua_gerida_segura_pais (88.624)

raw: 1.496 % withdrawal / available resources · average: stress log 100%→0, 10%→10; safe water lin 50%→0, 100%→10

Parks · score 8.04 · weight 9.94% · sources: osm_parques_2km (131.0) · osm_parques_municipio (5027.0)

raw: 131.0 count of OSM objects · 50% log1p(count within 2 km), 60→10 + 50% log1p(per 10k pop.), 15→10

Sun · score 6.82 · weight 9.94% · sources: radiacao_solar_global (1750.7)

raw: 1750.7 kWh/m²/year · lin 1000→0, 2100→10 kWh/m²/year

Restaurants · score 5.49 · weight 9.11% · sources: cnpj_restaurantes_municipio (34396.0) · osm_restaurantes_2km (316.0) · osm_restaurantes_municipio (2453.0) · overture_restaurantes_2km (1278.0) · overture_restaurantes_municipio (21133.0)

raw: 34396.0 active businesses (CNPJ) · Average of two mapping sources, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (Overture count ÷ K, K = median Overture/OSM ratio across the 39 cities: 2.57 within 2 km, 3.41 in the municipality); each source: 50% log1p(count within 2 km), 1000→10 + 50% log1p(per 10k pop.), 30→10. Brazil: 50% of that score + 50% log1p(CNPJ per 10k pop. ÷ K), 30→10

Entertainment · score 9.76 · weight 11.73% · sources: osm_destinos_entretenimento_50km (32.0) · osm_arenas_grandes_50km (75.0)

raw: 107.0 count of OSM objects (destinations + venues, 50 km) · log1p(destinations + stadiums/music venues), 120→10; 50 km radius

A1ed, radius 50 km: 32.0 destinations (theme_park/zoo/aquarium/water_park) + 75.0 stadiums/music venues (stadium, music_venue, concert_hall). Left out: events_venue, sports_centre, theatre, amusement_ride, amusement_arcade. OpenStreetMap via ohsome.

Bars · score 4.50 · weight 3.73% · sources: cnpj_bares_municipio (9452.0) · osm_bares_2km (118.0) · osm_bares_municipio (1031.0) · overture_bares_2km (458.0) · overture_bares_municipio (8301.0)

raw: 9452.0 active businesses (CNPJ) · Average of two mapping sources, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (Overture count ÷ K, K = median Overture/OSM ratio across the 39 cities: 2.48 within 2 km, 3.20 in the municipality); each source: 50% log1p(count within 2 km), 500→10 + 50% log1p(per 10k pop.), 10→10. Brazil: 50% of that score + 50% log1p(CNPJ per 10k pop. ÷ K), 10→10

Mild climate · score 9.14 · weight 4.97% · sources: dias_conforto_termico (301.6)

raw: 301.6 days/year · lin 0→0, 330→10 days/year

Health · score 5.28 · weight 4.97% · sources: wb_expectativa_vida (76.023) · cnes_leitos_existentes_municipio (37437.0) · osm_hospitais_10km (167.0)

raw: 76.023 years · average: life expectancy lin 70→0, 85→10; Brazil: beds/10k pop. lin 0→0, 50→10; World: OSM hospitals within 10 km log1p 50→10

Clean air · score 0.00 · weight 4.14% · sources: pm25_media_anual (37.205)

raw: 37.205 µg/m³ · lin 35→0, 5→10 µg/m³ (WHO=5)

Airport · score 10.00 · weight 2.48% · sources: osm_aeroportos_iata_50km (3.0)

raw: 3.0 count of OSM objects · 0→0, 1→7, ≥2→10

Culture · score 10.00 · weight 2.48% · sources: osm_cultura_5km (160.0)

raw: 160.0 count of OSM objects · log1p(count), 150→10

The city

São Paulo is the capital of the Brazilian state of São Paulo. Classified by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) as an alpha global city, it is the most populous urban area in the world outside Asia and has significant international influence in commerce, finance, culture, gastronomy, the arts, fashion, technology, entertainment and media, which earned it a place in UNESCO's Creative Cities Network as a "City of Film" and the title of "World Capital of Gastronomy". Its name honours Paul of Tarsus; its residents are known as paulistanos, and its Latin motto is Non ducor, duco, "I am not led, I lead".

English rendering of the Portuguese Wikipedia summary linked below. Source: wikipedia_pt. Wikipedia revision 73341997 (2026-11-01T15:48:11Z).

Taxation

ITBI: 3% (0.5% on the part financed through SFH/PAR/HIS up to R$ 120,968, for properties up to R$ 725,808). Base: higher of the transaction value and the reference assessed value (Law 11,154/1991; Decree 55,196/2014). 3% rate since Mar 30, 2015 (Law 16,098/2014). LEGAL CAVEAT: Brazil's Superior Court of Justice (STJ, Repetitive Theme 1,113) held that the tax base is market value, that the declared value is presumed compatible, and that the municipality cannot set the base in advance through a unilateral reference value; the city still charges on the higher value (administrative rule). An extraordinary appeal on the issue is pending (NUGEPNAC/TJRO). STJ source: https://processo.stj.jus.br/repetitivos/temas_repetitivos/pesquisa.jsp?cod_tema_final=1113&cod_tema_inicial=1113&novaConsulta=true&tipo_pesquisa=T Prefeitura de São Paulo — Secretaria Municipal da Fazenda

IPTU; no official local rate collected yet (we do not invent the figure). GAP: progressive tables by assessed value/use; to be collected from municipal law

Frequently asked questions

What is the Onde Viver Bem score for São Paulo?

São Paulo has an indicative score of 6.61/10 in the Brazil ranking, updated November 10, 2026. Cost of living is not part of the score.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the score for São Paulo?

The strongest published variables are Airport (10.00), Culture (10.00) and Entertainment (9.76); the weakest are Clean air (0.00), Safety (2.62) and Bars (4.50).

Does cost of living or the land price per m² enter the score?

No. Cost of living and the land price per m² appear on the page but are not part of the score. See the methodology.

How is the score calculated?

It is an indicative 0–10 quality-of-life index, with 13 variables and published weights. Safety has a 15% weight and, when local data exist, a lethal-violence penalty may cap the total. The full method is on the methodology page.

Are any figures on this page estimates?

This page has no value marked as an estimate. Each metric cites its source.