Hong Kong
Head to head

Hong Kong vs Singapore.

Hong Kong leaves about $54K more of a $1M income in hand each year than Singapore, on the Patrician.ch 2026 model. 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR against 🇸🇬 Singapore, compared on tax, residence, cost and the life.

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In short, current to October 2026

  • On $1,000,000 of income, Hong Kong takes an effective 15% and Singapore takes 21%, so Hong Kong leaves about $54K more in hand each year on the Patrician.ch 2026 model.
  • Neither Hong Kong nor Singapore 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.
  • Neither Hong Kong nor Singapore is modeled on a special regime for arriving foreigners, so both run on ordinary resident rates.
  • Inheritance, what a child pays: nothing in Hong Kong, nothing in Singapore.
  • Route in: Hong Kong by Residence by investment, Founder & talent. Singapore by Residence by investment, Founder & talent.
  • Cost of the life is 102 in Hong Kong against 98 in Singapore on the Patrician.ch index where Zurich is 100, and safety 10 against 10 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, Hong Kong vs Singapore: tax, residence and cost 2026, patrician.ch/compare/hong-kong-vs-singapore/, October 2026.

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By the Patrician.ch research desk · Updated 29 October 2026 · 7 min read
Hong Kong
Hong Kong 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR
Singapore
Singapore 🇸🇬 Singapore
Hong KongSingapore
Effective tax at $300K15%15%
Effective tax at $1M15%21%
Effective tax at $3M16%23%
Kept after tax at $1M$846K$792K
Capital gains0%0%
Inheritance tax, childrennothingnothing
Cost index (Zurich 100)10298
A 200 m² prime home, US$$8.7M$7.1M
Prestige of address (editorial)8/109/10
Safety10/1010/10
Schools9/1010/10
Sun hours1,8302,020
Supercar street index#14#29
Routes inResidence by investment, Founder & talentResidence by investment, Founder & talent
Net millionaire flow, 2025 forecast (country, Henley)n/a+1,600
Flight from London12h 35m nonstop13h nonstop
Flight from New York15h 55m nonstop18h 55m nonstop
See these 2 places for your own income.Hong Kong and Singapore, 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$3MHong Kong15%15%16%Singapore15%21%23%

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

Hong Kong keeps more of a $1M salary, $54K a year on this model. Singapore answers with schools.

For a founder with an exit

Capital gains land at 0% in both. Neither city levies an annual wealth tax.

For a family

Singapore leads on schools, a lower cost and sun. Safety is level.

Questions

Which keeps more of a $1M income, Hong Kong or Singapore?

Hong Kong, by about $54K a year on Patrician.ch's 2026 model.

Hong Kong takes an effective 15% of $1,000,000 and Singapore takes 21%. At $3,000,000 the rates are 16% and 23%.

Which taxes capital gains less, Hong Kong or Singapore?

Neither taxes them. Hong Kong and Singapore both levy no capital gains tax on a resident individual.

Which is better for inheritance, Hong Kong or Singapore?

Neither charges a spouse or children. Both levy no inheritance tax at all.

Hong Kong abolished estate duty in 2006. Singapore abolished estate duty in 2008.

Which is cheaper to live in, Hong Kong or Singapore?

Singapore, at 98 on the Patrician.ch cost index against 102 for Hong Kong, where Zurich is 100.

Safety scores 10 of 10 in Hong Kong and 10 of 10 in Singapore, schools 9 and 10. These are Patrician.ch editorial indices, not published statistics.

The Dossier: Hong Kong, Singapore, 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 Hong Kong and Singapore, 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=hkg,sin&inc=1000000" title="Income tax in Hong Kong and Singapore, 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/hong-kong-vs-singapore/">Patrician.ch</a></p>

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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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