Gstaad vs Geneva: Gstaad keeps $35K more of $1M

Gstaad vs Geneva.

Gstaad leaves about $35K more of a $1M income in hand each year than Geneva, on the Patrician.ch 2026 model. Both in 🇨🇭 Switzerland, compared on tax, residence, cost and the life.

In short, current to October 2026

On $1,000,000 of income, Gstaad takes an effective 36% and Geneva takes 40%, so Gstaad leaves about $35K more in hand each year on the Patrician.ch 2026 model.
Neither Gstaad nor Geneva taxes a capital gain on a disposal by a resident individual, so a liquidity event realized after residence begins is not taxed locally in either.
Switzerland operates a special regime for arriving foreigners: Lump sum taxation in the canton of Bern under Article 14 DBG, for foreign residents who do not work in Switzerland. The deemed base is the highest of 7 times your rent or imputed rental value, your actual worldwide living costs, or the 2026 floor of 435,000 francs for federal tax and 400,000 francs for Bern cantonal tax. Switzerland operates: Lump sum taxation is available in Geneva, on a deemed spending base of at least 7 times the rent or rental value of the home, with a 2026 floor of CHF 435,000 for federal tax and CHF 426,357 for Geneva cantonal tax. No gainful activity in Switzerland, and not Swiss tax resident in the previous 10 years.
Inheritance, what a child pays: nothing in Gstaad, nothing, unless lump sum taxed in Geneva.
Route in: Gstaad by Lump sum residence, Founder & talent. Geneva by Lump sum residence, Founder & talent.
Cost of the life is 120 in Gstaad against 104 in Geneva on the Patrician.ch index where Zurich is 100, and safety 10 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 29 October 2026. Cite as: Patrician.ch, Gstaad vs Geneva: tax, residence and cost 2026, patrician.ch/compare/gstaad-vs-geneva/, October 2026.

Gstaad, Switzerland — **Gstaad** 🇨🇭 Switzerland

Geneva, Switzerland — **Geneva** 🇨🇭 Switzerland

	Gstaad	Geneva
Effective tax at $300K	30%	31%
Effective tax at $1M	36%	40%
Effective tax at $3M	37%	42%
Kept after tax at $1M	$635K	$600K
Capital gains	0%	0%
Inheritance tax, children	nothing	nothing, unless lump sum taxed
Cost index (Zurich 100)	120	104
A 200 m² prime home, US$	from $9.4M	$7.1M
Prestige of address (editorial)	10/10	9/10
Safety	10/10	9/10
Schools	8/10	9/10
Sun hours	1,570	1,890
Supercar street index	#26	#37
Routes in	Lump sum residence, Founder & talent	Lump sum residence, Founder & talent
Flight from London	1h 45m nonstop	1h 45m nonstop
Flight from New York	7h 45m nonstop	7h 45m nonstop

See these 2 places for your own income.Gstaad and Geneva, 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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Head to head

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

$300K$1M$3MGstaad30%36%37%Geneva31%40%42%

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

Gstaad keeps more of a $1M salary, $35K a year on this model. Geneva answers with schools.

For a founder with an exit

Capital gains land at 0% in both. Both levy an annual wealth tax, top rate 0.5% in Gstaad and 0.86% in Geneva.

For a family

Geneva leads on schools, a lower cost and sun, Gstaad on safety.

GstaadThe full page

GenevaThe full page Rank both on my numbersThe engine, 90 seconds

Questions

Which keeps more of a $1M income, Gstaad or Geneva?

Gstaad, by about $35K a year on Patrician.ch's 2026 model.

Gstaad takes an effective 36% of $1,000,000 and Geneva takes 40%. At $3,000,000 the rates are 37% and 42%.

Which taxes capital gains less, Gstaad or Geneva?

Neither taxes them. Gstaad and Geneva both levy no capital gains tax on a resident individual.

Which is better for inheritance, Gstaad or Geneva?

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

Switzerland has no federal inheritance tax. The canton sets it: every canton exempts a spouse, and all but Vaud, Neuchâtel and Appenzell Innerrhoden exempt children. Some Lucerne municipalities tax children. Geneva exempts a spouse, children and parents, except when the deceased was taxed on expenditure, the lump sum, in any of the last 3 final assessments.

Which is cheaper to live in, Gstaad or Geneva?

Geneva, at 104 on the Patrician.ch cost index against 120 for Gstaad, where Zurich is 100.

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

The Dossier: Gstaad, Geneva, 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 Gstaad and Geneva, 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.

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Income tax on the published 2026 rules. Social contributions, most deductions and treaties are not modeled. In Switzerland employees also pay AHV, IV and EO at 5.3% 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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