Head-to-head · tax residents 2026
Switzerland or Bulgaria: which should you move to?
Two of Europe's top relocation targets, both with newcomer regimes. Here is how they compare on the taxes that move the needle.
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| Factor |  Switzerland ↗ |  Bulgaria ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| Top personal income tax | 45% | 10% |
| Corporate tax | 14.6%* | 10%* |
| Capital gains tax | None | Taxed |
| Dividend tax | 11.5% | 5% |
| VAT / sales tax | 8.1% | 20% |
| Wealth tax | Yes | No |
| Inheritance tax | Yes | Yes |
| Foreign income | Worldwide | Partly exempt |
| Headline expat regime | Lump-sum (forfait) | 10% Flat Personal Income Tax |
| Cost of living (vs your country) | 112 | 23 |
| Population | 9,092,436 | 6,433,302 |
| Area | 41,290 km² | 110,910 km² |
| Population density | 220/km² | 58/km² |
| Airports (large + medium) | 13 | 9 |
| Annual tourists | 9,159,500 | 5,557,000 |
| Flight time from your country | · | · |
| Direct flight likely? | · | · |
| Life expectancy | 84.1 yrs | 75.8 yrs |
| Safety (homicides/100k) | 0.6 | 1.1 |
| Happiness (0-10) | 7.56 | 5.1 |
| Corruption index (higher = cleaner) | 85/100 | 44/100 |
| Double-tax treaties (approx) | ~100 | ~70 |
| Internet speed (median fixed) | 293 Mbps | 94 Mbps |
| Healthcare spend / person | $11,784 | $1,258 |
| Air quality (PM2.5, lower=better) | 8.32 | 19.68 |
| Time zone (approx) | UTC+1 | UTC+2 |
| Digital nomad visa | · | · |
| Official languages | 4 (French, German, Italian, Romansh) | 1 (Bulgarian) |
Green = more favourable. Cost of living shown as a percentage of your home country (under 100% = cheaper than home). Tax data: compiled by us, being re-verified; cost of living: World Bank PPP; area & population: GeoNames; life expectancy & homicide rate: World Bank.
* Switzerland: Federal 8.5% on after-tax profit (effective ~7.83%) plus cantonal/communal; combined effective ~11.9% (Zug) to ~21% (Bern), average ~14.6% · Bulgaria: Flat 10% CIT on worldwide income of residents; lowest headline rate in the EU. EU Pillar Two (15% minimum) applies to in-scope large groups from 2024/2025.
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