Europe and the United States, side by side.
What a $150K New York year needs as capital in 53 European and 17 American places, at local prices and after the local tax on gains.
In short, current to October 2026
- A year that costs $150K at New York prices needs a median $3.47M across the 53 European places on the board and $4.63M across the 17 places in the United States, at a 4% withdrawal rate.
- Tax on a resident's gains on listed securities runs from 23.8% to 38.1% in the American places, federal and state, and from 0% to 35.4% in the European ones. 21 European places levy none.
- A US citizen is taxed by the United States wherever they live. On that setting the European median rises to $3.74M. 26 European places also levy an annual wealth tax on a portfolio, which the number leaves out.
Each address on this page was last checked against its sources between and . The sources for each are named on its page and in the record.
Source: the Patrician.ch board, an original ranking of 100 residence addresses across 47 countries and territories. Tax rates, thresholds and routes are sourced. Cost, safety, schools, sun and beauty are Patrician.ch editorial indices. Figures current to October 2026. Updated . Cite as: Patrician.ch, The FIRE number in Europe and the United States, 2026: 70 places side by side, patrician.ch/answers/fire-number-europe-and-the-united-states/, October 2026.
