as the largest city BrazilSão Paulo has long been an inspiring destination for travelers. It’s a megacity that combines world-class food, art and nightlife, and a new report says it could be the best value for money on flights in 2026.
According to a report published by travel search engine Skyscanner (which also includes other lists such as the most searched destinations), São Paulo saw the biggest drop in airfares from the US in 2025, dropping by a whopping 29% compared to 2024.
Of the other nine cities in 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 decline in economy class return tickets booked between 1 January 2025 and 30 June 2025 for travel during 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
Skyscanner said in its report that “fares to these destinations are likely to be cheaper thanks to some key changes, including the opening of new routes and increased frequencies on low-cost carriers.” “For example, we recently launched new daily nonstop flights to Italy from Miami and Philadelphia.”
According to the report, São Paulo is a good deal not only because it has seen the most significant reductions in flight prices, but also because it “offers a more affordable experience than many major North American and European cities, featuring unique neighborhoods, a diverse culinary scene, world-class museums (including the stunning new tower of the São Paulo Museum of Art), iconic parks, and a vibrant nightlife.”
This is a list of Skyscanner’s best value cities based on reduced airfares.
10 destinations with the cheapest airfares
- São Paulo, Brazil: 29% price reduction
- Singapore: 25% price reduction
- Venice, Italy: 21% price reduction
- Mexico City, Mexico: 19% price reduction
- Turkiye, Istanbul: 18% price reduction
- Denpasar, Indonesia: 17% price reduction
- Colombo, Sri Lanka: 15% price reduction
- Belgium, Brussels: 14% price reduction
- Seoul, South Korea: 14% price reduction
- Naples, Italy: 14% price reduction
Why now is the time to visit São Paulo, Brazil
2025 was a big year for São Paulo. The São Paulo Museum of Fine Arts (MASP) has unveiled its long-awaited 14-story addition, which already features works by Renoir and Monet. American Airlines has nearly doubled its seasonal flights between Dallas/Fort Worth and Sao Paulo, and Etihad Airways and Royal Air Maroc have announced plans to begin service to the city. São Paulo will also open several new luxury hotels in 2025, including the 179-room W São Paulo and the 187-room Westin São Paulo.
Things to do in Sao Paulo
Start exploring São Paulo’s Avenida Paulista, a 1.5-mile-long line of cultural institutions, shops, and public art. Once home to the mansions of coffee magnates, it is now home to major museums and community cultural centers. Cesc Paulista. Every Sunday, Calle Paulista is closed to cars and becomes a pedestrian thoroughfare where musicians play on street corners and food stalls hand out fresh sugar cane juice.
Another good starting point is state art gallerya simple and well-curated museum focused on Brazilian art, housed in a restored brick building opposite the city’s central train station. It’s just a short walk from there Portuguese Museuman interactive exhibit details how immigration and language have shaped modern-day São Paulo. Or head to Ibirapuera Park. There, the Oca Pavilion and the Biennial Pavilion (both designed by modernist Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer) regularly host major exhibitions and events. However, it’s worth mentioning that São Paulo’s best art is often not hidden in museums. While murals climb the sides of apartment buildings, entire alleyways serve as evolving open-air galleries, like Beco do Batman (Batman’s Alley) in the Villa Madalena district, where young artists are repurposing warehouses to carve out space for pop-up exhibitions.
The food scene here is one of the most diverse in South America, shaped by waves of immigration. Japanese udon shops, Lebanese pastry counters, Italian cantinas, and Amazonian-style fine dining restaurants are all typically located within a few blocks of each other. Street food culture is strong, with pastels, caldo de cana, and grilled queijo on a stick, as is the tradition of restaurants paying by the kilo rather than by the course. And in one day, you can elbow your way through the municipal market for lunch, eat a comically overstuffed mortadella sandwich, and then enjoy dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant like: domAlex Atala’s two-star restaurant transforms Amazonian ingredients (like pheasant sea bass cooked in banana leaves and sweet cassava flour crumbles) into multicourse tasting menus.
São Paulo is also a gateway to explore the surrounding region, including the two coastal cities of Santos and Guaruja, and the popular mountain town of Campos do Jordão.
