Malibu (California) vs Miami (Florida): tax, residence and cost.

Malibu vs Miami.

Malibu against Miami, both in 🇺🇸 United States, on tax, residence, cost, and the life. Same model, same year, no brochure.

In short, current to September 2026

On $1,000,000 of income, Malibu takes an effective 43% and Miami takes 33%, so Miami leaves about $104K more in hand each year on Patrician's 2026 model.
On a capital gain realized after residence begins, Malibu charges 37% and Miami charges 24%. On a $5,000,000 event that is a difference of about $665K.
The United States operates no special regime for arriving foreigners, so both are modeled on ordinary resident rates.
Inheritance, what a child pays: 40% above $15M in Malibu, 40% above $15M in Miami.
Route in: Malibu by Residence by investment, Founder & talent. Miami by Residence by investment, Founder & talent.
Cost of the life is 140 in Malibu against 80 in Miami on Patrician's index where Zurich is 100, and safety 8 against 6 of 10. Both are Patrician 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 September 2026. Updated 26 September 2026. Cite as: Patrician.ch, Malibu (California) vs Miami (Florida): tax, residence and cost., patrician.ch/compare/mal-vs-mia/, September 2026.

	Malibu	Miami
Effective tax at $300K	33%	25%
Effective tax at $1M	43%	33%
Effective tax at $3M	48%	36%
Kept at $1M	$570K	$674K
Capital gains	37%	24%
Inheritance tax, children	40% above $15M	40% above $15M
Cost index (Zurich 100)	140	80
Safety	8/10	6/10
Schools	8/10	7/10
Sun hours	3,000	3,150
Supercar street index	#56	#6
Routes in	Residence by investment, Founder & talent	Residence by investment, Founder & talent
Net millionaire inflow 2025 (country, Henley)	+7,500	+7,500
Flight London	11.7	9.7
Flight New York	5.9	3.2

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 September 2026.

By profile

How each profile reads.

For an executive on salary

Miami (Florida) keeps more of a $1M salary, $104K a year on this model. Malibu (California) answers with schools and safety.

For a founder with an exit

Capital gains: Malibu 37%, Miami 24%. Exit rules apply. Malibu (California): California taxes capital gains as ordinary income, so an exit here can lose 37% between federal and state. The order of the move and the sale changes the charge more than any other variable on this board..

For a family

Malibu (California) leads on schools and safety, Miami (Florida) on a lower cost and sun.

MalibuThe full page MiamiThe full page Rank both on my numbersThe engine, 90 seconds

Questions

Which keeps more of a $1M income, Malibu or Miami?

Miami, by about $104K a year on Patrician.ch's 2026 model.

Malibu takes an effective 43% of $1,000,000 and Miami takes 33%. At $3,000,000 the rates are 48% and 36%.

Which taxes capital gains less, Malibu or Miami?

Miami, at 24% against 37% in Malibu.

On a $5,000,000 liquidity event realized after residence begins, the difference is about $665K.

Which is better for inheritance, Malibu or Miami?

Both tax children. What a child pays: 40% above $15M in Malibu, 40% above $15M in Miami.

The US taxes an estate at 40% above $15M per person in 2026. A US citizen spouse inherits free.

Which is cheaper to live in, Malibu or Miami?

Miami, at 80 on the Patrician.ch cost index against 140 for Malibu, where Zurich is 100.

Safety scores 8 of 10 in Malibu and 6 of 10 in Miami, schools 8 and 7. These are Patrician.ch editorial indices, not published statistics.

The Dossier: Malibu, Miami, and the third you have not considered.Your top 3 modeled on your income, exit, passports, and family. 10 chapters, written the moment you pay, usually ready within 2 minutes. The Dossier is $500. The founding price, $250, holds until 30 September. Refunded within 7 days if it does not change how you think.

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This page is the general case. Your income and passports rank all 100 differently.

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The general case, ranked: Where should high earners live in 2026 · Best country to live in if you are rich · Best countries for high earners after tax · Europe · United States · Americans moving abroad · Tax calculator · Keep Index 2026

Tax figures use a simplified marginal model with indicative 2026 brackets for a non-US single filer, ignore social contributions, most deductions, wealth taxes, and treaties, and are not advice. Residence rules change often. Verify before acting.