Monaco, Monaco
Answers · current to October 2026

Moving to Monaco from Zurich.

What a high earner from Zurich keeps after income tax at home and in Monaco, on 2026 rules: $364K more a year on $1M in Monaco, and the Swiss rule that follows the move.

In short, current to October 2026

  • On $1M of income, a single filer in Zurich owes $364K in income tax, an effective 36%, on Patrician.ch's 2026 model. In Monaco, which has levied no personal income tax since 1869, the figure is $0 for a non-US national who is not French.
  • Monaco keeps $364K more a year on $1M, $3.6M over 10 years.
  • A US citizen owes US federal income tax on worldwide income wherever they live, so in Monaco a US citizen on the same $1M still owes $320K on the engine's federal floor.
  • For a Swiss passport the route into Monaco is an application with conditions: residence card with proof of accommodation and a local bank relationship. Nationals from outside the EEA and Switzerland route through a French long stay visa first. The flight from Zurich is 1h 10m nonstop.
  • Figures are current to October 2026 and modeled on 2026 headline brackets for a single filer. Not tax, legal or immigration advice.

Official sources: Légimonaco, Government of Monaco, Swiss Federal Law (Fedlex). Checked against them between and .

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, Moving to Monaco from Zurich 2026: tax, residence and the catch, patrician.ch/answers/moving-to-monaco-from-zurich/, October 2026.

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By the Patrician.ch research desk · Updated 23 October 2026 · 8 min read
Income tax, a year

Zurich or Monaco, on the same income.

A single filer, income tax only, on Patrician.ch's 2026 model, converted at the board's reference rates. The Zurich figure comes from the board's Zurich record. Monaco levies no personal income tax.

IncomeZurichMonacoMonaco keeps more, a yearOver 10 yrs
$500K$160K (32%)$0 (0%)$160K$1.6M
$1M$364K (36%)$0 (0%)$364K$3.6M
$3M$1.2M (38%)$0 (0%)$1.2M$11.5M
See these 2 places for your own income.Monaco and Zurich, side by side on your income, passports and family. Free, in the ranking of all 100. Then the Dossier: a written report in 10 chapters on the 3 places that rank first for you. The Dossier is $500. The founding price, $250, holds until 31 October.
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Social contributions and most deductions are not modeled. A US citizen in Monaco owes US federal tax: $138K on $500K, $320K on $1M, $1.1M on $3M on the engine's floor. The foreign earned income exclusion covers a capped slice of salary and none of the investment income, so the model leaves it out.

The catch

What the move does not settle.

On the way out of Switzerland. No exit tax. Private capital gains on shares and other movable assets are tax free in Switzerland, so their sale after departure is not taxed by the canton you leave. Swiss property stays subject to the cantonal real estate gains tax when sold. Cantonal tax runs to the day of departure. Leaving Switzerland: the exit tax →

A US passport keeps its tax. The United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live. Monaco levies none, so a US citizen there owes the full federal figure, $320K on $1M. How a US citizen is taxed abroad →

The route in

Residence in Monaco.

For a Swiss passport the route is an application with conditions. Residence card with proof of accommodation and a local bank relationship. Nationals from outside the EEA and Switzerland route through a French long stay visa first.

Cost and life.

ZurichMonaco
Cost index (Zurich 100)100125
Safety10/1010/10
Schools9/108/10
Sun hours a year1,6902,700

Every Monaco figure: Monaco on the board. Zurich on the board: Zurich. Leaving Zurich for anywhere: moving from Zurich. Monaco against Dubai and Singapore: Dubai vs Monaco vs Singapore for a family.

Moving to Monaco from the other cities: London · Paris · Milan · Munich · Stockholm.

Questions

The short answers.

How much tax do you pay in Monaco moving from Zurich?

No Monaco income tax. On $1M, a single filer owes $0 in Monaco against $364K in Zurich, so Monaco keeps $364K more a year.

Patrician.ch's 2026 model, income tax only. A US citizen still owes US federal tax, $320K on $1M.

Does Switzerland charge an exit tax on a move to Monaco?

No exit tax. Private capital gains on shares and other movable assets are tax free in Switzerland, so their sale after departure is not taxed by the canton you leave.

Swiss property stays subject to the cantonal real estate gains tax when sold. Cantonal tax runs to the day of departure.

Do US citizens living in Monaco pay US tax?

Yes. The US taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live, and Monaco levies no income tax to credit, so the federal tax is owed in full.

$320K on $1M on the engine's federal floor.

How do you get residence in Monaco?

For a Swiss passport the route is an application with conditions.

Residence card with proof of accommodation and a local bank relationship. Nationals from outside the EEA and Switzerland route through a French long stay visa first.

Is Monaco more expensive than Zurich?

On the Patrician.ch cost index, where Zurich is 100, Zurich scores 100 and Monaco 125.

The index is an editorial judgment, not a published statistic.

The Dossier: your top 3, on your numbers.A written report on the 3 places that rank first for you, compared line by line on your income, a sale, your passports and your family. 10 chapters, written the moment you pay. Every tax figure carries its official source and the date it was last checked. The Dossier is $500. The founding price, $250, holds until 31 October. Refunded in full within 7 days of delivery, no reason needed.
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Income tax on the published 2026 rules. Social contributions, most deductions and treaties are not modeled. Figures are for a non-US single filer. Wealth tax, an exit and your passports are added when you run the engine on your own numbers. Not advice. Residence rules change often. Verify before acting.

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