Sao Paulo eSIM
In Sao Paulo you connect to Vivo or Claro, whichever is performing better where you are standing. The typical speed across the country is 49 Mbps. Your data starts working the moment you land, before you reach the immigration hall.
- Networks
- Vivo and Claro
- Typical speed in Brazil
- 49 Mbps typical, 12 Mbps at busy times
- 5G
- yes, non standalone
- Throttle
- None on metered plans
- Tethering
- Allowed on every plan
Plans that cover Sao Paulo
| Data | Validity | Price per GB | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | Never expires | $7.89 | $7.89 | |
| 3 GB | Never expires | $4.96 | $14.89 | |
| 5 GBMost travellers | Never expires | $4.38 | $21.89 | |
| 10 GB | Never expires | $3.39 | $33.89 | |
| 20 GB | Never expires | $2.99 | $59.89 |
How Brazil compares across South America
- Regional typical speed
- 33.5 Mbps
- Upstream networks
- 2, Vivo, Claro
- 5G
- Yes, non standalone
- Next fastest nearby
- Chile, 52 Mbps
- Next slowest nearby
- Uruguay, 48 Mbps
- Cities with their own page
- 4: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Salvador, Florianopolis
Landing at Sao Paulo/Guarulhos-Governador Andre Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU)
- Airport
- GRU / SBGR
- Distance
- 25 km from the centre of Sao Paulo
- Also serves
- Sao Paulo-Congonhas Airport (CGH), Viracopos International Airport (Campinas) (VCP)
Getting into Sao Paulo
- CPTM Line 13-Jade, Expresso Aeroporto from Palmeiras-Barra Funda to Aeroporto-Guarulhos (GRU)
- GRU Airport People Mover between the terminals and Aeroporto-Guarulhos station (GRU)
- Bandeirantes-Anhanguera highway complex from Viracopos to Sao Paulo (VCP)
- Airport Bus Service 316 from Guarulhos to the Paulista Avenue hotel circuit (GRU)
- Guarucoop taxi from any Guarulhos terminal (GRU)
Underground and on the metro
Sao Paulo Metro runs 8 lines. It opened in 1974. The operator does not publish whether the tunnels carry a mobile signal, so we do not claim either way.
Worth knowing about Sao Paulo
- Congonhas lost its international designation in 2008 and now handles domestic flights only, on a curfew from 06:00 to 22:30 and with runways of only 1,883 m and 1,495 m.
- Viracopos, used by several low-cost and cargo operators, is 82 km northwest of Sao Paulo and 20 km from Campinas, so arriving there means a long road transfer rather than a short hop.
- The airport train to Guarulhos is hourly rather than turn-up-and-go: the Expresso Aeroporto leaves Palmeiras-Barra Funda and Aeroporto-Guarulhos once an hour between 05:00 and midnight.
- Guarulhos terminals are not at the train station; a separate People Mover links them to Aeroporto-Guarulhos on CPTM Line 13.
- Sao Paulo's rapid transit is split between operators: the Metro company runs Lines 1, 2, 3 and 15, while Lines 4, 5, 6 and 17 are run by separate concessionaires.
- From 14 September 2026 every turnstile on Metro Lines 1-Blue, 2-Green, 3-Red and 15-Silver takes contactless Elo, Mastercard and Visa cards, including cards stored in phones and watches. Tap the card on the validator; no PIN is needed.
- Paying by bank card at a Metro turnstile carries no fare integration with buses or CPTM trains, which still needs Bilhete Unico or TOP. The old magnetic Edmonson tickets are valid only until 31 October 2026.
- Line 4-Yellow is getting a shared 4G and 5G network in all 11 stations and its tunnels. Vila Sonia, Sao Paulo-Morumbi, Butanta, Pinheiros and Faria Lima-PagBank are due first, by the end of 2026, with the whole line covered during the second half of 2027.
- On Lines 1, 2 and 3 the Metro has handed mobile signal infrastructure to a telecom concession, which also covers free Wi-Fi for passengers in stations and on trains.
- Guarulhos airport Wi-Fi is run by Boingo on the network .GRU WIFI. The first four hours are free; after that Boingo sells hourly or monthly plans, and its support line runs 24 hours a day.
- Airport Bus Service coaches leave the bus terminal on the Terminal 2 east arrivals level for Congonhas (258), Barra Funda (472), Tiete bus station (472EX1) and a Paulista Avenue hotel circuit (316). The counter opens 06:00 to 22:00, with 24-hour ticket machines too.
- For a cheap link to the Metro, EMTU route 257 runs from the first sidewalk at Terminal 2 west arrivals to Tatuape, a station on Line 3-Red.
- Guarucoop holds the city's exclusive concession for taxis at Guarulhos, with 650 air-conditioned cars, standardised fares and bilingual drivers. It serves all three terminals from the same number, +55 11 2440-7070.
- Besides the hourly airport express, CPTM Line 13-Jade runs to Engenheiro Goulart for Line 12-Safira, from 04:00 to midnight Sunday to Friday and until 01:00 on Saturdays. Free airport shuttles link the station and all three terminals from 04:00 to midnight.
- Anyone driving a hire car into the expanded centre on a weekday faces the rodizio: from 07:00 to 10:00 and 17:00 to 20:00, plates ending 1 and 2 are barred on Monday, 3 and 4 Tuesday, through to 9 and 0 on Friday. Out-of-town plates are included; taxis are exempt.
Sources for this page
Other cities in Brazil we cover
- Rio de Janeiro
- 360 km from Sao Paulo, nearest airport SDU
- Florianopolis
- 489 km from Sao Paulo, nearest airport FLN
- Salvador
- 1456 km from Sao Paulo, nearest airport SSA