Gustavia vs Vaduz: tax, residence and cost 2026

Gustavia vs Vaduz.

🇫🇷 St Barths against 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein, 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, Gustavia takes an effective 45% and Vaduz takes 18%, so Vaduz leaves about $270K more in hand each year on the Patrician.ch 2026 model.
On a capital gain realized after residence begins, Gustavia charges 35% and Vaduz charges 0%. On a $5,000,000 event that is a difference of about $1.8M.
St Barths operates a special regime for arriving foreigners: For the first 5 years a new resident is treated as a French tax resident and pays French income tax on worldwide income. From the sixth year St Barths tax domicile applies, with no income tax and French tax only on French source income. Liechtenstein operates none.
Inheritance, what a child pays: yes, above €150,000 in Gustavia, nothing in Vaduz.
Route in: Gustavia by Founder & talent. Vaduz by Lump sum residence.
Cost of the life is 132 in Gustavia against 95 in Vaduz on the Patrician.ch index where Zurich is 100, and safety 9 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 September 2026. Updated 27 September 2026. Cite as: Patrician.ch, Gustavia (St Barths) vs Vaduz (Liechtenstein): tax, residence and cost 2026, patrician.ch/compare/sbh-vs-vdz/, September 2026.

	Gustavia	Vaduz
Effective tax at $300K	37%	14%
Effective tax at $1M	45%	18%
Effective tax at $3M	48%	19%
Kept at $1M	$550K	$819K
Capital gains	35%	0%
Inheritance tax, children	yes, above €150,000	nothing
Cost index (Zurich 100)	132	95
Safety	9/10	10/10
Schools	5/10	6/10
Sun hours	2,900	1,600
Supercar street index	#84	#91
Routes in	Founder & talent	Lump sum residence
Net millionaire flow, 2025 forecast (country, Henley)	n/a	n/a
Flight London	9	2.1
Flight New York	4.4	8.8

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

Vaduz (Liechtenstein) keeps more of a $1M salary, $270K a year on this model. Gustavia (St Barths) answers with the life itself.

For a founder with an exit

Capital gains: Gustavia 35%, Vaduz 0%. Neither city taxes wealth as such.

For a family

Vaduz (Liechtenstein) leads on schools, safety and a lower cost, Gustavia (St Barths) on sun.

Gustavia The full page Vaduz The full page Rank both on my numbers The engine, 90 seconds

Questions

Which keeps more of a $1M income, Gustavia or Vaduz?

Vaduz, by about $270K a year on Patrician.ch's 2026 model.

Gustavia takes an effective 45% of $1,000,000 and Vaduz takes 18%. At $3,000,000 the rates are 48% and 19%.

Which taxes capital gains less, Gustavia or Vaduz?

Vaduz, at 0% against 35% in Gustavia.

On a $5,000,000 liquidity event realized after residence begins, the difference is about $1.8M.

Which is better for inheritance, Gustavia or Vaduz?

Vaduz. What a child pays: yes, above €150,000 in Gustavia, nothing in Vaduz.

St Barths levies succession and gift duties under its own Code des contributions, on children as well as more distant heirs. The 2024 revision sets a €150,000 allowance per child and a 25% base rate on gifts in the direct line. Liechtenstein abolished inheritance and gift tax in 2011.

Which is cheaper to live in, Gustavia or Vaduz?

Vaduz, at 95 on the Patrician.ch cost index against 132 for Gustavia, where Zurich is 100.

Safety scores 9 of 10 in Gustavia and 10 of 10 in Vaduz, schools 5 and 6. These are Patrician.ch editorial indices, not published statistics.

The Dossier: Gustavia, Vaduz, 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 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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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

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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.