Public Transport in São Paulo 2026 — Metro, CPTM, SPTrans Buses, Bilhete Único and Getting Around Brazil's Largest City

Public Transport in São Paulo 2026

São Paulo is South America's largest city with a population of 12+ million in the municipality and 22+ million in the metropolitan area. Its public transport network — a combination of Metro, CPTM commuter rail, and SPTrans buses — serves the city but the sheer scale of São Paulo means that coverage gaps and long journey times are common in outer areas. The integrated Bilhete Único card enables affordable multi-modal transfers. This guide covers public transport in São Paulo in 2026.

São Paulo Metro

• 6 Metro lines (Lines 1-5 and Line 15/Monotrilho, plus Line 17 under construction): Lines 1 (Blue), 2 (Green), 3 (Red), 4 (Yellow), 5 (Lilac/Purple), 15 (Silver/monorail)
• Key transfer stations: Sé (Lines 1 and 3), República (Lines 3 and X), Consolação (Lines 2 and 4), Paulista (Lines 2 and 4), Barra Funda (Line 3 and CPTM Lines 7/8)

CPTM (Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos)

• CPTM operates 6 suburban commuter rail lines (7-12) connecting central São Paulo to the outer metropolitan area; key hub stations: Barra Funda, Brás, Luz, Tamanduateí

Bilhete Único — São Paulo's Integrated Transit Card

• The Bilhete Único is São Paulo's reloadable smart card accepted on Metro, CPTM, and SPTrans buses; flat bus fare approximately BRL 4.40-5.00 per trip; integrated transfer discount applies within a 3-hour window (additional trips within window charged at reduced rate)

Traffic and Practical Tips

• São Paulo's road traffic is among the world's worst; during rush hour, Metro and CPTM are significantly faster than road transport for covered routes; plan your route to maximise use of rail where possible

This article was compiled by AI and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.