--- title: "Amsterdam vs Berlin: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Amsterdam and Berlin — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/amsterdam-vs-berlin pageType: comparison lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)." --- > Amsterdam ($54/sqft, 7.2% vacancy) and Berlin ($53/sqft, 7.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: Amsterdam on rent and tax and Berlin on talent depth. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Amsterdam $54/sqft vs Berlin $53/sqft. - Vacancy: Amsterdam 7.2% vs Berlin 7.4%. - Talent index: Amsterdam 86 vs Berlin 88. - Corporate tax: Amsterdam 25.8% vs Berlin 30%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Amsterdam $940 vs Berlin $580. # Amsterdam vs Berlin: Class A office comparison **Amsterdam ($54/sqft, 7.2% vacancy) and Berlin ($53/sqft, 7.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: Amsterdam on rent and tax and Berlin on talent depth.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Amsterdam $54/sqft vs Berlin $53/sqft. - Vacancy: Amsterdam 7.2% vs Berlin 7.4%. - Talent index: Amsterdam 86 vs Berlin 88. - Corporate tax: Amsterdam 25.8% vs Berlin 30%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Amsterdam $940 vs Berlin $580. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Amsterdam | Berlin| | Region | EMEA | EMEA| | Country | Netherlands | Germany| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $54 | $53| | Class A rent (local) | 50 EUR | 44 EUR| | Vacancy | 7.2% | 7.4%| | Trend | rising | flat| | Prime yield | 4.5% | 4.3%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $940 | $580| | Submarkets covered | 4 | 5| | Corporate tax | 25.8% | 30%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Amsterdam | Berlin| | Typical term | 7 yrs | 5 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 12 mos | 4 mos| | Lease norms | Dutch leases run 5-10 years with break rights. Rent indexed to CPI annually. Servicekosten (operating expenses) billed separately. Bank guarantees of 3-6 months standard. | Net leases dominate. 5-10 year terms; tenants frequently negotiate break options at year 3 or 5. Free rent of 3-6 months on a 5-year deal; TI of €60-€100/sqm typical.| | Tax note | Headline corporate tax 25.8% (19% on first €200k). Innovation Box and participation exemption regimes are meaningful. | 15% federal corporate income tax plus 5.5% solidarity surcharge plus Berlin trade tax (Gewerbesteuer) of about 14.35% for an effective combined rate of about 30%.| ## Talent | Metric | Amsterdam | Berlin| | Talent index (0–100) | 86 | 88| | Talent note | Strong English-fluent professional talent pool. Average all-in compensation indexes 86. | Deepest tech and creative talent pool in Germany. Strong feed from TU Berlin, HU, FU, and the rapidly growing Hertie School. Multilingual talent base supports non-German European HQs.| ## Transit & commute **Amsterdam:** Schiphol Airport is 7 minutes by direct train from Zuidas. Strong S-Bahn equivalent (Sprinter / Intercity) coverage. **Berlin:** BVG U-Bahn (10 lines), S-Bahn (15 lines), tram, and bus. Berlin is highly walkable and U-Bahn-served. BER airport (opened 2020) is connected via the S-Bahn S9. ## Top submarkets — Amsterdam - [**Zuidas**](/cities/amsterdam/zuidas) — [trophy tier](/topics/trophy-asset-selection) · €55/sqft/yr · ≈ $59.4 PSF/yr USD - [**Centrum & Canal Belt**](/cities/amsterdam/centrum-canal-belt) — prime tier · €60/sqft/yr · ≈ $64.8 PSF/yr USD - [**Houthavens & NDSM**](/cities/amsterdam/houthavens-ndsm) — prime tier · €42/sqft/yr · ≈ $45.4 PSF/yr USD ## Top submarkets — Berlin - [**Mitte**](/cities/berlin/mitte) — trophy tier · €50/sqm/mo · ≈ $60.2 PSF/yr USD - [**Mediaspree (Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg)**](/cities/berlin/mediaspree) — trophy tier · €46/sqm/mo · ≈ $55.4 PSF/yr USD - [**Potsdamer Platz**](/cities/berlin/potsdamer-platz) — prime tier · €44/sqm/mo · ≈ $53 PSF/yr USD ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Berlin is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth Berlin has the deeper talent index (88/100 vs 86/100). ### Pick by tax Amsterdam has the lower headline corporate tax (25.8% vs 30%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality Amsterdam typical term is 7 years with 12 months free; Berlin runs 5 years with 4 months free. ### Pick by transit Amsterdam: Schiphol Airport is 7 minutes by direct train from Zuidas. Strong S-Bahn equivalent (Sprinter / Intercity) coverage. Berlin: BVG U-Bahn (10 lines), S-Bahn (15 lines), tram, and bus. Berlin is highly walkable and U-Bahn-served. BER airport (opened 2020) is connected via the S-Bahn S9. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Amsterdam, Berlin and up to two more markets side-by-side on Class A rent, vacancy, talent, corporate tax, and premium flex pricing — all in USD. [**Run a 4-city comparison →**](/tools/city-comparator) ## Frequently asked questions ****Is Class A office cheaper in Amsterdam or Berlin?**** : Berlin is cheaper on a USD basis: $53/sqft vs $54/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Amsterdam or Berlin?**** : Berlin indexes higher on talent depth (88 vs 86). ****Which has more sublease availability, Amsterdam or Berlin?**** : Berlin carries higher vacancy (7.4% vs 7.2%) and therefore typically more [sublease](/topics/sublease-strategy)">sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Amsterdam vs Berlin?**** : Amsterdam typical term is 7 years with 12 months rent-free; Berlin typical term is 5 years with 4 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : Amsterdam: Schiphol Airport is 7 minutes by direct train from Zuidas. Strong S-Bahn equivalent (Sprinter / Intercity) coverage. Berlin: BVG U-Bahn (10 lines), S-Bahn (15 lines), tram, and bus. Berlin is highly walkable and U-Bahn-served. BER airport (opened 2020) is connected via the S-Bahn S9. ## Editorial provenance Reviewed by [**Samuel Okafor**](/about/authors/samuel-okafor) — EMEA contributing editor. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our [methodology](/about/methodology) and [editorial standards](/about/editorial-standards). ### Primary sources for this page - [CBRE Marketview reports](https://www.cbre.com/insights) — CBRE - [JLL Office Insight](https://www.jll.com/en/trends-and-insights) — JLL - [Cushman & Wakefield Marketbeat](https://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/insights) — Cushman & Wakefield - [Savills World Research](https://www.savills.com/research_articles/) — Savills - [Colliers Global Office Outlook](https://www.colliers.com/en/research) — Colliers [Full sources index](/about/sources) · [Submit a correction](/about/corrections) --- Citation: Source: Class A Atlas (https://classa.info/compare/amsterdam-vs-berlin), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.