São Paulo has been voted one of the 100 best cities in the world, according to ‘The World’s Best Cities’ ranking for 2025. In the list of 100 cities, only the capital of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro appear among the Brazilian cities.
Despite the victory, the city lost 48 positions, since last year it was in 27th place and has now fallen to 75th. See below what factors led to this change.
How are the best cities in the world determined?
The analysis is carried out annually by Resonance Consultancy – an international consultancy focusing on tourism, real estate and economic development – and evaluates 24 key factors. To do this, the consultants use a combination of statistical performance and qualitative evaluations from residents and visitors.
The key factors are grouped into six main categories:
- Location (climate, safety, tourist attractions, outdoor life)
- Product (airport connectivity, attractions, museums, university rankings, size of convention center)
- Program (culture, nightlife, restaurants, shopping)
- People (participation in the workforce, average educational level)
- Prosperity (number of Global 500 corporate headquarters, GDP per capita, employment rates, income equality)
- Promotion (Facebook check-ins, Google search frequency, TripAdvisor reviews, Instagram hashtags, Google Trends popularity)
Each category includes subcategories that significantly influence the quality of life of residents and tourists, as well as the future of that city.
To qualify, a city must have a population of over one million and be the main metropolitan area in its region.
São Paulo as one of the “100 best cities of 2025”
Of the 100 cities considered worldwide, São Paulo ranked 75th . According to the report, by addressing three key factors – liveability, loveability and prosperity – the concept of ‘Place Power® Score‘ is defined.
The São Paulo capital stands out as follows:
This is a people’s city, as evidenced by its Top 20 ranking in our overall Ability to Love index. While Prosperity is a little lower, in 92nd place; Livability is a distant 161st, compared to the rest of the world.”
However, despite facing challenges, the Brazilian economy remains resilient and the report recognizes that the ability to adapt to change is a distinguishing feature of São Paulo .
In addition, São Paulo came 8th in the culture category and 5th as one of the cities with the best gastronomic options. Resonance Consultancy also writes:
Lina Bo Bardi’s São Paulo Art Museum and architect Rino Levi’s pyramidal FIESP Cultural Center are just two of São Paulo’s icons – after all, Brazil’s largest city, home to more than 23 million “paulistanos”, has global origins as diverse as Japan, Italy, Lebanon and France in its cultural vein. This true mix creates a daily life that is among the most vibrant and multifaceted on the planet.”
The ten best cities in the world
London has been named the best city in the world for the ninth year running. The other top 10 are:
- London
- New York
- Paris
- Tokyo
- Singapore
- Rome
- Madrid
- Barcelona
- Berlin
- Sydney
