FIRE calculator 2026: the FIRE number in 100 places

Place by place

The number in all 100.

Each dot is a place, all on the same scale. Hover or tap a dot for its figures, and pick it to draw its line on the chart above.

A placeYour base and your pick

#	Place	A year there	Tax on the sales	The number	Years
1	BaliIndonesia	$56K	$12K	$1.68M	4.5
2	Buenos AiresArgentinaWealth tax	$63K	$5K	$1.69M	4.6
3	PragueCzech Republic	$78K	$0	$1.94M	6.1
4	AthensGreece	$81K	$0	$2.01M	6.5
5	PhuketThailand	$69K	$15K	$2.10M	7.0
6	Panama CityPanama	$86K	$0	$2.15M	7.3
7	BangkokThailand	$72K	$15K	$2.19M	7.5
8	TulumMexico	$83K	$4K	$2.19M	7.5
9	CancúnMexico	$86K	$5K	$2.27M	7.9
10	VallettaMalta	$92K	$0	$2.29M	8.0
11	Los CabosMexico	$90K	$5K	$2.38M	8.5
12	Abu DhabiUAE	$97K	$0	$2.43M	8.7
13	Christophe HarbourSt Kitts and Nevis	$97K	$0	$2.43M	8.7
14	HvarCroatia	$97K	$0	$2.43M	8.7
15	LimassolCyprus	$97K	$0	$2.43M	8.7
16	DallasUnited States	$86K	$12K	$2.44M	8.8
17	TivatMontenegro	$90K	$8K	$2.47M	8.9
18	LisbonPortugal	$86K	$14K	$2.50M	9.1
19	DubaiUAE	$103K	$0	$2.57M	9.4
20	Punta del EsteUruguayWealth tax on local assets	$104K	$0	$2.60M	9.6
21	San JuanPuerto Rico	$104K	$0	$2.60M	9.6
22	Las VegasUnited States	$97K	$13K	$2.76M	10.4
23	Andorra la VellaAndorra	$111K	$0	$2.78M	10.5
24	MadridSpainWealth tax	$97K	$16K	$2.83M	10.7
25	PalmaSpainWealth tax	$97K	$16K	$2.83M	10.7
26	Gibraltar	$114K	$0	$2.85M	10.8
27	St John'sAntigua and Barbuda	$114K	$0	$2.85M	10.8
28	BarcelonaSpainWealth tax	$100K	$16K	$2.91M	11.1
29	ViennaAustria	$103K	$16K	$2.98M	11.4
30	CascaisPortugal	$103K	$17K	$2.99M	11.5
31	RomeItalyWealth tax	$104K	$16K	$2.99M	11.5
32	Platinum CoastBarbados	$122K	$0	$3.06M	11.8
33	AustinUnited States	$108K	$15K	$3.07M	11.9
34	MilanItalyWealth tax	$108K	$16K	$3.11M	12.0
35	Quinta do LagoPortugal	$108K	$18K	$3.15M	12.2
36	MiamiUnited States	$111K	$15K	$3.15M	12.2
37	TuscanyItalyWealth tax	$111K	$17K	$3.19M	12.4
38	LucerneSwitzerlandWealth tax	$128K	$0	$3.19M	12.4
39	ZugSwitzerlandWealth tax	$128K	$0	$3.19M	12.4
40	MunichGermany	$111K	$17K	$3.20M	12.4
41	TokyoJapan	$117K	$13K	$3.25M	12.6
42	Anguilla	$132K	$0	$3.30M	12.9
43	LuganoSwitzerlandWealth tax	$132K	$0	$3.30M	12.9
44	NassauBahamas	$132K	$0	$3.30M	12.9
45	QueenstownNew Zealand	$132K	$0	$3.30M	12.9
46	VaduzLiechtensteinWealth tax	$132K	$0	$3.30M	12.9
47	Virgin GordaBritish Virgin Islands	$132K	$0	$3.30M	12.9
48	MarbellaSpainWealth tax	$114K	$19K	$3.31M	12.9
49	Casa de CampoDominican Republic	$118K	$17K	$3.37M	13.2
50	Singapore	$136K	$0	$3.40M	13.3
51	Luxembourg	$122K	$14K	$3.41M	13.4
52	ProvenceFranceProperty wealth tax	$114K	$24K	$3.46M	13.6
53	MontreuxSwitzerlandWealth tax	$139K	$0	$3.47M	13.6
54	ZurichSwitzerlandWealth tax	$139K	$0	$3.47M	13.6
55	SydneyAustralia	$125K	$17K	$3.54M	13.9
56	Hong KongHong Kong SAR	$142K	$0	$3.54M	13.9
57	GenevaSwitzerlandWealth tax	$144K	$0	$3.61M	14.2
58	George TownCayman Islands	$146K	$0	$3.65M	14.4
59	Jersey	$146K	$0	$3.65M	14.4
60	NiceFranceProperty wealth tax	$122K	$26K	$3.71M	14.6
61	MykonosGreece	$150K	$0	$3.75M	14.8
62	LondonUnited Kingdom	$133K	$18K	$3.79M	14.9
63	Tel AvivIsrael	$133K	$24K	$3.92M	15.5
64	Tucker's TownBermuda	$160K	$0	$3.99M	15.8
65	ParisFranceProperty wealth tax	$132K	$28K	$4.01M	15.8
66	KitzbühelAustria	$139K	$22K	$4.03M	15.9
67	VerbierSwitzerlandWealth tax	$164K	$0	$4.10M	16.2
68	Bal HarbourUnited States	$146K	$20K	$4.14M	16.3
69	Coral GablesUnited States	$146K	$20K	$4.14M	16.3
70	NaplesUnited States	$146K	$20K	$4.14M	16.3
71	GstaadSwitzerlandWealth tax	$167K	$0	$4.17M	16.4
72	ZermattSwitzerlandWealth tax	$167K	$0	$4.17M	16.4
73	Cortina d'AmpezzoItalyWealth tax	$146K	$22K	$4.19M	16.5
74	CannesFranceProperty wealth tax	$139K	$30K	$4.22M	16.6
75	IbizaSpainWealth tax	$146K	$24K	$4.24M	16.7
76	Palm BeachUnited States	$153K	$21K	$4.34M	17.1
77	Monaco	$174K	$0	$4.34M	17.1
78	ProvidencialesTurks and Caicos	$174K	$0	$4.34M	17.1
79	St. MoritzSwitzerlandWealth tax	$174K	$0	$4.34M	17.1
80	Forte dei MarmiItalyWealth tax	$160K	$24K	$4.59M	18.0
81	New YorkUnited States	$150K	$35K	$4.63M	18.2
82	MegèveFranceProperty wealth tax	$153K	$33K	$4.64M	18.2
83	Bora BoraFrench Polynesia	$188K	$0	$4.69M	18.3
84	Lake ComoItalyWealth tax	$164K	$24K	$4.71M	18.4
85	MauiUnited States	$160K	$29K	$4.73M	18.5
86	San FranciscoUnited States	$156K	$35K	$4.77M	18.7
87	CapriItalyWealth tax	$167K	$25K	$4.79M	18.7
88	PortofinoItalyWealth tax	$174K	$26K	$4.99M	19.4
89	AspenUnited States	$174K	$28K	$5.05M	19.6
90	Saint-TropezFranceProperty wealth tax	$167K	$36K	$5.06M	19.6
91	Amalfi CoastItalyWealth tax	$178K	$27K	$5.11M	19.8
92	Porto CervoItalyWealth tax	$181K	$27K	$5.19M	20.1
93	CourchevelFranceProperty wealth tax	$181K	$39K	$5.48M	21.0
94	Newport BeachUnited States	$181K	$41K	$5.54M	21.2
95	GustaviaSt Barths	$183K	$39K	$5.57M	21.3
96	Cap FerratFranceProperty wealth tax	$188K	$40K	$5.70M	21.7
97	Beverly HillsUnited States	$192K	$44K	$5.88M	22.3
98	The HamptonsUnited States	$197K	$41K	$5.95M	22.5
99	MalibuUnited States	$194K	$44K	$5.97M	22.5
100	MontecitoUnited States	$194K	$44K	$5.97M	22.5

A year there: your year priced at that place's cost level, from the Patrician.ch cost index (an editorial index, Zurich = 100). Tax on the sales: the place's rate on a resident's gains on listed securities, applied to the gain part of each year's withdrawal. Wealth tax is not in the number: the table marks where it applies.

The method

How the number is worked.

The year, there

Your year at the base's prices, times the place's cost index over the base's.

SourceThe Patrician.ch cost index, an editorial index with Zurich at 100. It runs from 40 (Bali) to 142 (The Hamptons).

The tax on the sales

The yearly withdrawal is grossed up so that, after the place's tax on its gain part, it pays for the year.

RateThe board's rate on a resident's gains on listed securities, 2026. For a US citizen, the higher of that rate and 23.8%: the US federal 20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax.

The number

The yearly withdrawal divided by the withdrawal rate.

The rateA setting from 3% to 5%. The 4% figure comes from Bengen (1994) and from the Trinity study (Cooley, Hubbard and Walz, 1998), both tested on US market history, with 30 year retirements as the main case.

The years

The first year in which what is invested today, grown at your rate, plus each year's saving, grown from the year it is added, reaches the number.

GrowthAfter inflation, so the number stays in today's dollars. Your assumption, from 0% to 7%.

Not in the figure

Wealth tax, tax on dividends and interest, health cover, the cost of a residence permit, and changes in prices or rules after 2026.

Questions

The short answers.

What is a FIRE number?

The capital whose yearly withdrawal pays for a year of life.

FIRE stands for financial independence, retire early. The number is a year's spending divided by a withdrawal rate: at 4% it is 25 times the year. This calculator also prices the year at each place's cost level and adds the tax that place takes on the gain part of each sale.

Where does the 4% figure come from?

From studies of US stock and bond returns, with 30 year retirements as the main case.

William Bengen's 1994 paper in the Journal of Financial Planning and the 1998 Trinity study by Cooley, Hubbard and Walz tested withdrawals against US market history: US portfolios, US dollars, 30 years as the main horizon. Here the rate is a setting, from 3% to 5%. It is not a forecast.

Why is the number different in each place?

The same year costs a different amount there, and the tax on the sales that pay for it differs.

The cost level is the Patrician.ch cost index, an editorial index with Zurich at 100. It runs from 40 in Bali to 142 in The Hamptons. The tax is the rate the board uses for a resident's gains on listed securities, 0% in 39 of the 100 places.

Does the number include wealth tax?

No. 36 of the 100 places levy a wealth tax, and the table marks each one.

The bases differ too much to fold into a single rate: France taxes property only, Uruguay only assets located in Uruguay, and the Spanish and Swiss taxes run on their own scales and thresholds. Each place's wealth tax page sets out the rule.

How does a US citizen read it?

The United States taxes its citizens wherever they live.

The US citizen switch applies, in every place, the higher of the local rate and 23.8%: the US federal 20% on long term gains plus the 3.8% net investment income tax. That is the board's simplified reading of the foreign tax credit.

Which places need the least?

At the default settings, Bali, Buenos Aires, Prague, Athens and Phuket.

A year that costs $150K at New York prices needs $1.68M in Bali and $4.63M in New York, at a 4% withdrawal rate with half of each sale counted as gain.

Can I put this calculator on my own site?

Yes, for free.

Copy 1 line of HTML from the free widgets page, patrician.ch/widgets/. The widget runs all 100 places on the reader's own settings and carries the Patrician.ch credit. A firm can run it under its own brand with Patrician.ch for Firms.

Is this financial advice?

No. It is arithmetic on published rates and on the settings you choose.

Published comparison research, not tax, legal or financial advice. Wealth tax, tax on dividends and interest, health cover and the cost of a residence permit are not in the figure.

Rank all 100 on my own numbers →

The FIRE number, in 100 places.

Your year, priced everywhere.

From today to the number.