Palma, Spain
🇪🇸 Countries · current to September 2026

Spain, for a high earner.

5 addresses in Spain on the Patrician.ch board, ranked by what a $1M earner keeps. Palma leads at 44%.

In short, current to September 2026

  • Palma ranks first in Spain, at 44% on $1,000,000 and ahead on the engine score (safety, schools, sun, beauty, cost and ease of entry). Marbella follows, then Madrid.
  • A resident pays about 26% on a capital gain in Spain.
  • A wealth tax applies at every address, top rate 3.5% of net assets a year.
  • Inheritance: Spouse and children exempt at 4 of the 5 addresses, children taxed in Barcelona.
  • 5 of the 5 addresses offer a special regime for new arrivals. At Palma: Beckham law: 24% flat on Spanish employment income up to €600K for 6 years, but the Balearics keep a regional wealth tax and a tourist rental clampdown, so model both before the finca.
  • Rules moved in April 2025: the golden visa closed.

Source: the Patrician.ch board, an original ranking of 100 residence addresses across 48 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 . Cite as: Patrician.ch, Spain for high earners 2026: 5 addresses ranked after tax, patrician.ch/countries/spain/, September 2026.

Ranked

5 addresses in Spain, by what a $1M earner keeps.

01
Palma 🇪🇸 Spainkeeps $560K of $1M, gains 26%, safety 8 of 10, schools 7 of 10
44%
02
Marbella 🇪🇸 Spainkeeps $560K of $1M, gains 26%, safety 8 of 10, schools 7 of 10
44%
03
Madrid 🇪🇸 Spainkeeps $560K of $1M, gains 26%, safety 8 of 10, schools 8 of 10
44%
04
Ibiza 🇪🇸 Spainkeeps $560K of $1M, gains 26%, safety 7 of 10, schools 6 of 10
44%
05
Barcelona 🇪🇸 Spainkeeps $560K of $1M, gains 26%, safety 6 of 10, schools 8 of 10
44%
AddressTax on $1MKeptGainsWealth taxHeirsCost
Palma44%$560K26%3.5%Spouse and children exempt70
Marbella44%$560K26%3.5%Spouse and children exempt82
Madrid44%$560K26%3.5%Spouse and children exempt70
Ibiza44%$560K26%3.5%Spouse and children exempt105
Barcelona44%$560K26%3.5%Children taxed72

Simplified marginal model, indicative 2026 brackets, non-US single filer. Wealth tax is the top rate. Cost is the Patrician.ch index where Zurich is 100.

Who gets in

The route into Spain.

EU nationals register on arrival. Others use the digital nomad or highly qualified visa. The Golden Visa closed in April 2025. Elect the Beckham regime within 6 months of registering.

Remote work visa · 5 of 5Founder & talent · 5 of 5

The regime for new arrivals.

Palma. Beckham law: 24% flat on Spanish employment income up to €600K for 6 years, but the Balearics keep a regional wealth tax and a tourist rental clampdown, so model both before the finca

Marbella. Beckham law: 24% flat on Spanish employment income up to €600K for 6 years for inbound hires and remote workers, and Andalusia waives the regional wealth tax, though the national solidarity tax applies above €3M

Madrid. Beckham law: 24% flat on Spanish employment income up to €600K for 6 years for inbound hires and remote workers, and Madrid waives the regional wealth tax, though the national solidarity tax applies above €3M

Ibiza. Beckham law: 24% flat on Spanish employment income up to €600K for 6 years, but the Balearics keep a regional wealth tax, so model it before you buy the finca

Barcelona. Beckham law: 24% flat on Spanish employment income up to €600K for 6 years, but Catalonia keeps the regional wealth tax at up to 2.75% and its own income surcharges, so the flat regime matters more here than in Madrid

Every regime for new arrivals, compared

Keep reading

Spain, head to head.

Madrid vs MarbellaHead to headMadrid vs IbizaHead to headBarcelona vs PalmaHead to headBarcelona vs IbizaHead to headBarcelona vs MarbellaHead to headPalma vs IbizaHead to headPalma vs MarbellaHead to headMarbella vs IbizaHead to headPalma vs MadridHead to head

Marbella wealth tax · Ibiza wealth tax · Palma wealth tax · Every country on the board · Glossary

Questions

The short answers.

Where should a high earner live in Spain?

Palma ranks first in Spain, at 44% on $1,000,000 and ahead on the engine score (safety, schools, sun, beauty, cost and ease of entry). Marbella follows, then Madrid.

Ties on tax are broken by the Patrician.ch engine score at its default weights (safety, schools, sun, beauty, cost and ease of entry). Your own income and passports can reorder the list.

How much income tax does a $1M earner pay in Spain?

44% effective across the 5 addresses on the Patrician.ch 2026 model, single filer, before social contributions.

5 of the 5 addresses offer a special regime for new arrivals. At Palma: Beckham law: 24% flat on Spanish employment income up to €600K for 6 years, but the Balearics keep a regional wealth tax and a tourist rental clampdown, so model both before the finca.

Does Spain tax capital gains?

Yes.

A resident pays about 26% on a capital gain in Spain, about $260K on a $1,000,000 gain.

Does Spain have a wealth tax?

Yes, at every address. The top rate runs 3.5% of net assets a year.

Andalusia relieves its regional wealth tax in full, but the national solidarity tax applies above 3M EUR at 1.7%, 2.1% and 3.5% above 10.7M EUR.

Does Spain have an inheritance tax?

It depends on the address. Spouse and children exempt at 4 of the 5 addresses, children taxed in Barcelona.

Source: Junta de Andalucía; Blevins Franks, Oct 2025, current to September 2026.

How does a foreigner get residence in Spain?

EU nationals register on arrival.

Others use the digital nomad or highly qualified visa. The Golden Visa closed in April 2025. Elect the Beckham regime within 6 months of registering. Routes that matter for money: Remote work visa, Founder & talent.

Are millionaires moving to Spain?

No. Spain saw a net outflow of 500 millionaires in 2025 on the Henley Private Wealth Migration Report.

That is a country figure, not a city one. Henley's 2026 report published no new flow estimates, so 2025 is the latest.

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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

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.

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