São Paulo Ranks Eighth in a New Digital Nomad City Index
Nomads · RANKINGS
Key Facts
- —What happened São Paulo ranked eighth of 104 cities in a digital nomad index, the only Latin American top-ten entry.
- —How big a jump São Paulo scored 66.67 points, level with Madrid in seventh, while Seoul led on 73.60.
- —The real story East Asia dominates the ranking: six of the top ten cities are Asian, and four are Japanese.
- —The catch The ranking comes from a Japanese VPN comparison website, not a research institution, and it publishes no scoring weightings.
- —Who it touches The index misses visa access, yet Brazil has offered a renewable one-year visa since 2022 (US$…).
- —What comes next No ranks or scores were published for Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, Buenos Aires or Medellín.
Seoul leads, Japan takes four of the top ten, and São Paulo is the only Latin American entry.
A digital nomad city ranking reported this week puts São Paulo eighth of 104 cities worldwide. It is the only Latin American city in the top ten.
What the ranking says
The digital nomad city ranking runs Seoul, Tokyo, Hanoi, Taipei, Osaka, Barcelona, Madrid, São Paulo, Nagoya and Ho Chi Minh City.
Seoul leads on 73.60 points. São Paulo scores 66.67, level with Madrid in seventh.
East Asia dominates. Six of the ten are Asian cities and four are Japanese.
Europe contributes only Barcelona and Madrid. Latin America contributes only São Paulo, and North America contributes nobody.
How the cities were scored
The study started with 150 cities and dropped 46 of them. The cut used the United Nations definition of an urban area.
The index scores coworking-space density, entertainment venues and cultural institutions. It also scores national internet speeds and local prices.
A weather measure counts days between 15 and 28 degrees Celsius with under five millimetres of rain. The study calls these comfortable working days.
No weightings are published, so there is no way to tell how much each factor counted. The ranking is a total, not a formula readers can follow.
Madrid and São Paulo both score 66.67, yet Madrid is placed above. No tiebreak rule appears in the results.
Who produced it
The digital nomad city ranking came from a Japanese VPN comparison website. Euronews reported the results on 17 August.
That is a commercial site rather than a research institution. It carries advertising, reviews VPN products and earns from referrals.
The rest of Latin America
The published results stop at the top ten. They give no ranks or scores for Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, Buenos Aires or Medellín.
The same goes for Bogotá, Lima, Santiago and Montevideo. São Paulo at eighth is the only Latin American entry in the table.
Why São Paulo scores where it does
São Paulo fits the criteria the study uses. It has an enormous coworking market, the deepest cultural infrastructure in South America, and prices well below Western Europe.
The weather measure probably helps too. The city’s mild plateau climate sits inside the study’s comfort band for much of the year.
What the index leaves out is the thing residents mention first, which is commuting time and safety.
It also leaves out visa access. For a nomad, that is often the decisive factor.
The visa point the ranking misses
Brazil has had a digital nomad visa since 2022. It lasts a year and can be renewed once.
Applicants must show remote employment or contracts with a company outside Brazil. They must also show a minimum monthly income or bank balance.
That is a concrete advantage over several cities ranked above São Paulo, and the scoring does not capture it.
For anyone choosing a base, the visa rules matter more than a coworking count. A place in the global top ten makes a good headline, not a plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did São Paulo rank?
Eighth of 104 cities, with 66.67 points. It is the only Latin American city in the published top ten.
Which city came first?
Seoul, on 73.60 points, ahead of Tokyo on 72.61 and Hanoi on 71.86. Japan took four of the top ten places.
Who produced the ranking?
A Japanese VPN comparison website, reported by Euronews on 17 August 2026. It is a commercial site rather than a research institution.
How were the cities scored?
By coworking density, entertainment venues, cultural institutions, national internet speed, local prices and days of comfortable working weather. No weightings were published.
Sources
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error
In depth
Read More from The Rio Times