Argyo AppsTax comparison by canton
Updated: 2026-09-24 · By Andrei and Nada Argyo, who build SwissBudget+ in Lucerne.
Enter your gross salary, pick two cantons, and see what the same salary costs in tax in each. The figures come from the Swiss Federal Tax Administration's own calculator, tax year 2026, for each canton's capital.
Show as a table
| # | Canton | Capital | Per year | Per month |
|---|
Source: ESTV Swiss tax calculator (swisstaxcalculator.estv.admin.ch), tax year 2026. Federal, cantonal and municipal income tax plus personal tax in each canton's capital, no wealth. Church tax only when switched on. Children aged 5, 8 and 11. Between the salary steps the figures are interpolated.
Why the same salary is taxed so differently
Every salary in Switzerland is taxed three times: by the Confederation, by the canton and by the municipality. The federal tax is the same everywhere. The cantonal tariff and the municipal multiplier (Steuerfuss) are set locally, and that is where the gap comes from. At higher incomes the difference between two cantons can be larger than a month's rent.
What the numbers include, and what they don't
The tool shows income tax for a person living in the canton's capital. The ESTV calculator applies the standard deductions for an employed person (social contributions, professional expenses, insurance premiums) from the gross salary. It does not know your pillar 3a, your commute, childcare costs or anything else you would claim in a real tax return. Other municipalities in the same canton can be cheaper or more expensive than the capital.
Use it to compare cantons, not to predict your exact bill.
Moving for a job?
Tax is only one line. Rent, health insurance premiums and the commute change too, and all of them decide what is left at the end of the month. In SwissBudget+ you can copy your budget, change the salary and the canton in the copy, and compare the two months side by side. No account, no cloud, and the app is free.