--- title: "Amsterdam vs Brussels: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Amsterdam and Brussels — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/amsterdam-vs-brussels 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 Brussels ($39/sqft, 8.2% vacancy) compete on different axes: Amsterdam on talent depth and Brussels on rent and tax. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Amsterdam $54/sqft vs Brussels $39/sqft. - Vacancy: Amsterdam 7.2% vs Brussels 8.2%. - Talent index: Amsterdam 86 vs Brussels 84. - Corporate tax: Amsterdam 25.8% vs Brussels 25%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Amsterdam $940 vs Brussels $580. # Amsterdam vs Brussels: Class A office comparison **Amsterdam ($54/sqft, 7.2% vacancy) and Brussels ($39/sqft, 8.2% vacancy) compete on different axes: Amsterdam on talent depth and Brussels on rent and tax.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Amsterdam $54/sqft vs Brussels $39/sqft. - Vacancy: Amsterdam 7.2% vs Brussels 8.2%. - Talent index: Amsterdam 86 vs Brussels 84. - Corporate tax: Amsterdam 25.8% vs Brussels 25%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Amsterdam $940 vs Brussels $580. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Amsterdam | Brussels| | Region | EMEA | EMEA| | Country | Netherlands | Belgium| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $54 | $39| | Class A rent (local) | 50 EUR | 32 EUR| | Vacancy | 7.2% | 8.2%| | Trend | rising | flat| | Prime yield | 4.5% | 5.4%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $940 | $580| | Submarkets covered | 4 | 5| | Corporate tax | 25.8% | 25%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Amsterdam | Brussels| | Typical term | 7 yrs | 9 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 12 mos | 8 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. 9-year terms with break options at years 3 and 6 (Belgian 3/6/9 standard). Free rent of 6-12 months and 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. | 25% Belgian corporate income tax. Notional Interest Deduction and innovation income deduction available. SME rate of 20% on first €100k for qualifying small companies.| ## Talent | Metric | Amsterdam | Brussels| | Talent index (0–100) | 86 | 84| | Talent note | Strong English-fluent professional talent pool. Average all-in compensation indexes 86. | Deepest multilingual professional talent pool in the EU — French, Dutch, English, and German fluency is standard. Strong EU institutional, regulatory, lobbying, and trade association talent.| ## Transit & commute **Amsterdam:** Schiphol Airport is 7 minutes by direct train from Zuidas. Strong S-Bahn equivalent (Sprinter / Intercity) coverage. **Brussels:** STIB Metro (4 lines), tram, and bus. SNCB national rail anchors regional and EU-wide connectivity. Brussels Airport (BRU) is connected via SNCB rail (~17 minutes to Brussels-Central). ## 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 — Brussels - [**Léopold Quarter (EU Quarter)**](/cities/brussels/leopold-quarter) — trophy tier · €36/sqm/mo · ≈ $43.3 PSF/yr USD - [**Louise Avenue**](/cities/brussels/louise-avenue) — prime tier · €34/sqm/mo · ≈ $40.9 PSF/yr USD - [**Centre-Ville (Brussels-Central)**](/cities/brussels/centre-ville-cbd) — prime tier · €30/sqm/mo · ≈ $36.1 PSF/yr USD ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Brussels is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth Amsterdam has the deeper talent index (86/100 vs 84/100). ### Pick by tax Brussels has the lower headline corporate tax (25% vs 25.8%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality Amsterdam typical term is 7 years with 12 months free; Brussels runs 9 years with 8 months free. ### Pick by transit Amsterdam: Schiphol Airport is 7 minutes by direct train from Zuidas. Strong S-Bahn equivalent (Sprinter / Intercity) coverage. Brussels: STIB Metro (4 lines), tram, and bus. SNCB national rail anchors regional and EU-wide connectivity. Brussels Airport (BRU) is connected via SNCB rail (~17 minutes to Brussels-Central). ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Amsterdam, Brussels 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 Brussels?**** : Brussels is cheaper on a USD basis: $39/sqft vs $54/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Amsterdam or Brussels?**** : Amsterdam indexes higher on talent depth (86 vs 84). ****Which has more sublease availability, Amsterdam or Brussels?**** : Brussels carries higher vacancy (8.2% vs 7.2%) and therefore typically more [sublease](/topics/sublease-strategy)">sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Amsterdam vs Brussels?**** : Amsterdam typical term is 7 years with 12 months rent-free; Brussels typical term is 9 years with 8 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. Brussels: STIB Metro (4 lines), tram, and bus. SNCB national rail anchors regional and EU-wide connectivity. Brussels Airport (BRU) is connected via SNCB rail (~17 minutes to Brussels-Central). ## 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-brussels), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.