London, United Kingdom
Head to head

London vs Zurich.

Zurich leaves about $67K more of a $1M income in hand each year than London, on the Patrician.ch 2026 model. 🇬🇧 United Kingdom against 🇨🇭 Switzerland, compared on tax, residence, cost and the life.

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In short, current to October 2026

  • On $1,000,000 of income, London takes an effective 43% and Zurich takes 36%, so Zurich leaves about $67K more in hand each year on the Patrician.ch 2026 model.
  • On a capital gain realized after residence begins, London charges 24% and Zurich charges 0%. On a $5,000,000 event that is a difference of about $1.2M.
  • The United Kingdom operates a special regime for arriving foreigners: 4 year foreign income and gains regime for new arrivals. Zurich is modeled with none.
  • Inheritance, what a child pays: 40% in London, nothing in Zurich.
  • Route in: London by Founder & talent. Zurich by Founder & talent.
  • Cost of the life is 96 in London against 100 in Zurich on the Patrician.ch index where Zurich is 100, and safety 6 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, London vs Zurich: tax, residence and cost 2026, patrician.ch/compare/london-vs-zurich/, October 2026.

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By the Patrician.ch research desk · Updated 29 October 2026 · 7 min read
London, United Kingdom
London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Zurich, Switzerland
Zurich 🇨🇭 Switzerland
LondonZurich
Effective tax at $300K39%26%
Effective tax at $1M43%36%
Effective tax at $3M44%38%
Kept after tax at $1M$568K$636K
Capital gains24%0%
Inheritance tax, children40%nothing
Cost index (Zurich 100)96100
A 200 m² prime home, US$$6.1M$7.5M
Prestige of address (editorial)10/108/10
Safety6/1010/10
Schools10/109/10
Sun hours1,6301,690
Supercar street index#12#36
Routes inFounder & talentFounder & talent
Net millionaire flow, 2025 forecast (country, Henley)−16,500+3,000
Flight from LondonHome1h 50m nonstop
Flight from New York7h 05m nonstop7h 45m nonstop
See these 2 places for your own income.London 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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Head to head

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

$300K$1M$3MLondon39%43%44%Zurich26%36%38%

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

Zurich keeps more of a $1M salary, $67K a year on this model. London answers with schools.

For a founder with an exit

Capital gains: London 24%, Zurich 0%. Zurich levies an annual wealth tax, top rate 0.64%. London levies none.

For a family

London leads on schools and a lower cost, Zurich on safety and sun.

London, United KingdomLondonThe full pageZurich, SwitzerlandZurichThe full pageRank both on my numbersThe engine, 90 seconds
Questions

Which keeps more of a $1M income, London or Zurich?

Zurich, by about $67K a year on Patrician.ch's 2026 model.

London takes an effective 43% of $1,000,000 and Zurich takes 36%. At $3,000,000 the rates are 44% and 38%.

Which taxes capital gains less, London or Zurich?

Zurich, at 0% against 24% in London.

On a $5,000,000 liquidity event realized after residence begins, the difference is about $1.2M.

Which is better for inheritance, London or Zurich?

Zurich. What a child pays: 40% in London, nothing in Zurich.

The UK taxes an estate at 40% above £325,000, with a further band for a home left to children. A spouse inherits free. Since April 2025 exposure follows 10 of the last 20 years of residence. 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.

Which is cheaper to live in, London or Zurich?

London, at 96 on the Patrician.ch cost index against 100 for Zurich, where Zurich is 100.

Safety scores 6 of 10 in London and 10 of 10 in Zurich, schools 10 and 9. These are Patrician.ch editorial indices, not published statistics.

The Dossier: London, Zurich, 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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<iframe src="https://patrician.ch/embed/compare/?c=lon,zrh&inc=1000000" title="Income tax in London and Zurich, 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/london-vs-zurich/">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 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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