Cascais, Portugal
Head to head

Cascais vs Lisbon.

Income tax on $1M lands within $21K in Cascais and Lisbon, so cost decides it: Lisbon scores 62 on the Patrician.ch cost index and Cascais 74, with Zurich at 100. Both in 🇵🇹 Portugal, compared on tax, residence, cost and the life.

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In short, current to October 2026

  • On $1,000,000 of income, Cascais takes an effective 50% and Lisbon takes 48%, so Lisbon leaves about $21K more in hand each year on the Patrician.ch 2026 model.
  • Both tax a capital gain on a resident disposal at 28%, so a liquidity event carries the same local charge either way.
  • Portugal operates a special regime for arriving foreigners: IFICI, the successor to NHR, gives qualifying new residents a 20% flat rate for 10 years. Portugal operates: IFICI, the successor to NHR, gives qualifying new residents a 20% flat rate for 10 years.
  • Inheritance, what a child pays: nothing in Cascais, nothing in Lisbon.
  • Route in: Cascais by Residence by investment, Remote work visa, Founder & talent. Lisbon by Residence by investment, Remote work visa, Founder & talent.
  • Cost of the life is 74 in Cascais against 62 in Lisbon on the Patrician.ch index where Zurich is 100, and safety 9 against 9 of 10. Both are Patrician.ch editorial indices scored by us, not published statistics.

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, Cascais (Portugal) vs Lisbon: tax, residence and cost 2026, patrician.ch/compare/cascais-vs-lisbon/, October 2026.

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By the Patrician.ch research desk · Updated 29 October 2026 · 7 min read
Cascais, Portugal
Cascais 🇵🇹 Portugal
Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon 🇵🇹 Portugal
CascaisLisbon
Effective tax at $300K45%43%
Effective tax at $1M50%48%
Effective tax at $3M52%50%
Kept after tax at $1M$497K$518K
Capital gains28%28%
Inheritance tax, childrennothingnothing
Cost index (Zurich 100)7462
A 200 m² prime home, US$Not published$2.5M
Prestige of address (editorial)8/106/10
Safety9/109/10
Schools8/107/10
Sun hours2,8002,800
Supercar street index#71#70
Routes inResidence by investment, Remote work visa, Founder & talentResidence by investment, Remote work visa, Founder & talent
Flight from London2h 50m nonstop2h 50m nonstop
Flight from New York7h 10m nonstop7h 10m nonstop
See these 2 places for your own income.Cascais and Lisbon, 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.
Compare them on my income →

Head to head

Effective income tax rate, % of income, at 3 incomes

$300K$1M$3MCascais45%50%52%Lisbon43%48%50%

Note: single filer, not a US citizen

Source: Patrician.ch 2026 tax model, built on official tax authority rates

Simplified marginal model, indicative 2026 brackets, non-US single filer, no social contributions, deductions, wealth taxes, or treaties. Inheritance is shown as it falls on a child, current to October 2026.

By profile

How each profile reads.

For an executive on salary

Lisbon keeps more of a $1M salary, $21K a year on this model. Cascais (Portugal) answers with schools.

For a founder with an exit

Capital gains land at 28% in both. Neither city levies an annual wealth tax.

For a family

Cascais (Portugal) leads on schools, Lisbon on a lower cost. Safety and sun hours are level.

Questions

Which keeps more of a $1M income, Cascais or Lisbon?

Lisbon, by about $21K a year on Patrician.ch's 2026 model.

Cascais takes an effective 50% of $1,000,000 and Lisbon takes 48%. At $3,000,000 the rates are 52% and 50%.

Which taxes capital gains less, Cascais or Lisbon?

Neither. Both tax a resident's capital gain at about 28%.

Which is better for inheritance, Cascais or Lisbon?

Neither charges a spouse or children. Both exempt close family.

Portugal charges 10% stamp duty on inheritance, but a spouse, children and parents are exempt.

Which is cheaper to live in, Cascais or Lisbon?

Lisbon, at 62 on the Patrician.ch cost index against 74 for Cascais, where Zurich is 100.

Safety scores 9 of 10 in Cascais and 9 of 10 in Lisbon, schools 8 and 7. These are Patrician.ch editorial indices, not published statistics.

The Dossier: Cascais, Lisbon, and the third you have not considered.A written report on the 3 places that rank first for you, 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.
Read chapters 1 to 3, free →
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The income tax of Cascais and Lisbon, side by side on 2026 rates. Your readers type their own salary and the places reorder. Free on any site, with the credit line under it.

<iframe src="https://patrician.ch/embed/compare/?c=cas,lis&inc=1000000" title="Income tax in Cascais and Lisbon, Patrician.ch" width="100%" height="900" style="border:0;max-width:760px;display:block;color-scheme:normal" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p style="margin:6px 0 0;font-size:.875em;line-height:1.4">Research by <a href="https://patrician.ch/compare/cascais-vs-lisbon/">Patrician.ch</a></p>

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Income tax on the published 2026 rules. Social contributions, most deductions and treaties are not modeled. In Portugal employees also pay social security at 11% of salary, with no cap. 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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