Hong Kong vs Tokyo: Hong Kong keeps $368K more of $1M

Hong Kong vs Tokyo.

Hong Kong leaves about $368K more of a $1M income in hand each year than Tokyo, on the Patrician.ch 2026 model. 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR against 🇯🇵 Japan, compared on tax, residence, cost and the life.

In short, current to October 2026

On $1,000,000 of income, Hong Kong takes an effective 15% and Tokyo takes 52%, so Hong Kong leaves about $368K more in hand each year on the Patrician.ch 2026 model.
On a capital gain realized after residence begins, Hong Kong charges 0% and Tokyo charges 20%. On a $5,000,000 event that is a difference of about $1.0M.
Neither Hong Kong nor Tokyo 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, up to 55% in Tokyo.
Route in: Hong Kong by Residence by investment, Founder & talent. Tokyo by Founder & talent.
Cost of the life is 102 in Hong Kong against 84 in Tokyo 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 29 October 2026. Cite as: Patrician.ch, Hong Kong vs Tokyo: tax, residence and cost 2026, patrician.ch/compare/hong-kong-vs-tokyo/, October 2026.

	Hong Kong	Tokyo
Effective tax at $300K	15%	43%
Effective tax at $1M	15%	52%
Effective tax at $3M	16%	55%
Kept after tax at $1M	$846K	$479K
Capital gains	0%	20%
Inheritance tax, children	nothing	up to 55%
Cost index (Zurich 100)	102	84
A 200 m² prime home, US$	$8.7M	$5.4M
Prestige of address (editorial)	8/10	8/10
Safety	10/10	10/10
Schools	9/10	8/10
Sun hours	1,830	1,880
Supercar street index	#14	#30
Routes in	Residence by investment, Founder & talent	Founder & talent
Net millionaire flow, 2025 forecast (country, Henley)	n/a	n/a
Flight from London	12h 35m nonstop	13h 50m nonstop
Flight from New York	15h 55m nonstop	14h 25m nonstop

See these 2 places for your own income.Hong Kong and Tokyo, 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$3MHong Kong15%15%16%Tokyo43%52%55%

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, $368K a year on this model. Tokyo answers with the life itself.

For a founder with an exit

Capital gains: Hong Kong 0%, Tokyo 20%. Neither city levies an annual wealth tax.

For a family

Hong Kong leads on schools, Tokyo on a lower cost and sun. Safety is level.

Hong KongThe full page

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

Questions

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

Hong Kong, by about $368K a year on Patrician.ch's 2026 model.

Hong Kong takes an effective 15% of $1,000,000 and Tokyo takes 52%. At $3,000,000 the rates are 16% and 55%.

Which taxes capital gains less, Hong Kong or Tokyo?

Hong Kong, at 0% against 20% in Tokyo.

On a $5,000,000 liquidity event realized after residence begins, the difference is about $1.0M.

Which is better for inheritance, Hong Kong or Tokyo?

Hong Kong. What a child pays: nothing in Hong Kong, up to 55% in Tokyo.

Hong Kong abolished estate duty in 2006. Japan taxes heirs at progressive rates up to 55%. A spouse has a large credit.

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

Tokyo, at 84 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 Tokyo, schools 9 and 8. These are Patrician.ch editorial indices, not published statistics.

The Dossier: Hong Kong, Tokyo, 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.

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The income tax of Hong Kong and Tokyo, 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,tyo&inc=1000000" title="Income tax in Hong Kong and Tokyo, 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-tokyo/">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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