&quot;Seriously, it&#x27;s like any other city in the world. If you walk around a dodgy area talking on an iPhone, by yourself, especially late at night, then you&#x27;re asking for trouble. Be sensible and cautious, and Rio is a lovely place to go on holiday.&quot;<p>I <i>generally</i> espouse this view ... that being sensible and street smart are the important parts to visiting different cities and that, in general, they are all fairly safe.<p>However, I <i>also</i> would describe Rio and Sao Paulo as a little further along the danger&#x2F;risk meter.<p>You know all those warnings and rules of thumb that people pass on about pickpocketing and scams and tricksters and so on ?  And they never really pan out or materialize ?  In Rio, they do.<p>I would feel more safe (than Rio) in Shanghai or Shenzhen, less safe (than Rio) in Tijuana.