Inflation, high diesel prices and billion-dollar subsidies are the main villains identified by city halls to increase fares in São Paulo, Rio, Fortaleza and BH
The year 2026 began with an extra burden on the budget of millions of Brazilians who depend on public transport. Since the first days of January, passengers from at least five capitals — including , and — have already paid more to travel. Adjustments vary, on average, from 6% to 20%, in some cases exceeding the accumulated inflation of the previous period.
Scenery in the capitals
In São Paulo, the fare for municipal buses increased this Tuesday (6) from R$5.00 to R$5.30. On the same day, the state government readjusted tickets for the rail system (Metrô and CPTM) from R$5.20 to R$5.40. Municipal management justified that the value had been frozen for years and that the current adjustment was below the inflation accumulated since the last major update.
In Rio de Janeiro, the increase came into effect on January 4th. The cost of bus, BRT and VLT tickets went from R$4.70 to R$5.00. The Rio de Janeiro city hall highlights, however, that the real value of the technical fare (the effective cost per passenger) was set at R$ 6.60, that is, with a difference of R$ 1.60, covered by subsidies from the municipality so as not to burden the user even more.
The situation is even more critical in Belo Horizonte, which now has one of the most expensive rates in the country. Since January 1st, the price of the main ticket has jumped from R$5.75 to R$6.25, an increase of 8.6%.
Other capitals, such as Fortaleza (from R$4.50 to R$5.40) and Florianópolis (fare via QR Code reaching R$7.70), also followed the upward trend.
Why did fares go up?
City halls and transport consortia point to a “perfect storm” of economic factors to justify the new values. The main reasons include:
Rising operating costs: The price of diesel, lubricants, tires and spare parts continues to be the villain on cost sheets. According to the National Association of Public Transport (ANTP), these inputs have a direct impact on the calculation of the technical tariff;
Labor: Salary adjustments for drivers, collectors and other system employees, essential to avoid strikes, are passed on to the final cost of the system;
Deficit and subsidies: In many cities, the amount paid by the passenger at the turnstile does not cover the real cost of the trip. In São Paulo, for example, the bus system would cost more than R$11.00 per trip without the subsidy from the city hall. With the public budget under pressure, part of this bill ends up being transferred to the user tariff;
Previous freezes: Some administrations, such as that of the capital of São Paulo, argue that they held down prices in previous years (especially in election or post-pandemic years), generating a gap that needed to be corrected now;
For the worker, the final bill weighs heavily. Anyone who uses two vehicles a day in São Paulo, for example, will have a significant additional monthly expense, eroding part of the current minimum wage adjustment.
