Largest Cities in South America
South America’s urban landscape is dominated by massive “megacities” that serve as the primary economic and cultural engines for their respective countries. Many of these cities are located either along the coast or nestled high within the Andes Mountains.
The following table lists the 20 most populous cities in South America based on 2026 urban area estimates.
| Rank | City | Country | Pop. (Urban Area Est.) | Notable Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | São Paulo | Brazil | 22,800,000 | Financial capital of Brazil |
| 2 | Buenos Aires | Argentina | 15,700,000 | “Paris of the South” |
| 3 | Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 13,800,000 | Famed for beaches & Carnival |
| 4 | Bogotá | Colombia | 11,650,000 | High-altitude Andean capital |
| 5 | Lima | Peru | 11,400,000 | Gastronomic capital of the world |
| 6 | Santiago | Chile | 6,950,000 | Surrounded by the Andes |
| 7 | Belo Horizonte | Brazil | 6,300,000 | Major mining & tech hub |
| 8 | Caracas | Venezuela | 5,400,000 | Northernmost major capital |
| 9 | Porto Alegre | Brazil | 4,350,000 | Key port in Southern Brazil |
| 10 | Brasília | Brazil | 4,100,000 | Planned modernist capital city |
| 11 | Medellín | Colombia | 4,050,000 | “City of Eternal Spring” |
| 12 | Fortaleza | Brazil | 3,950,000 | Major Atlantic tourist destination |
| 13 | Recife | Brazil | 3,900,000 | “The Venice of Brazil” |
| 14 | Guayaquil | Ecuador | 3,700,000 | Largest port in Ecuador |
| 15 | Curitiba | Brazil | 3,650,000 | Global model for urban planning |
| 16 | Cali | Colombia | 3,450,000 | World capital of Salsa music |
| 17 | Salvador | Brazil | 3,350,000 | Center of Afro-Brazilian culture |
| 18 | Maracaibo | Venezuela | 3,200,000 | Oil industry center |
| 19 | Asunción | Paraguay | 3,150,000 | One of the oldest cities in SA |
| 20 | Goiânia | Brazil | 2,900,000 | Known for its art deco architecture |