--- title: "Amsterdam vs Lisbon: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Amsterdam and Lisbon — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/amsterdam-vs-lisbon 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 Lisbon ($34/sqft, 7.8% vacancy) compete on different axes: Amsterdam on talent depth and Lisbon on rent and tax. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Amsterdam $54/sqft vs Lisbon $34/sqft. - Vacancy: Amsterdam 7.2% vs Lisbon 7.8%. - Talent index: Amsterdam 86 vs Lisbon 78. - Corporate tax: Amsterdam 25.8% vs Lisbon 21%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Amsterdam $940 vs Lisbon $480. # Amsterdam vs Lisbon: Class A office comparison **Amsterdam ($54/sqft, 7.2% vacancy) and Lisbon ($34/sqft, 7.8% vacancy) compete on different axes: Amsterdam on talent depth and Lisbon on rent and tax.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Amsterdam $54/sqft vs Lisbon $34/sqft. - Vacancy: Amsterdam 7.2% vs Lisbon 7.8%. - Talent index: Amsterdam 86 vs Lisbon 78. - Corporate tax: Amsterdam 25.8% vs Lisbon 21%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Amsterdam $940 vs Lisbon $480. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Amsterdam | Lisbon| | Region | EMEA | EMEA| | Country | Netherlands | Portugal| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $54 | $34| | Class A rent (local) | 50 EUR | 28 EUR| | Vacancy | 7.2% | 7.8%| | Trend | rising | rising| | Prime yield | 4.5% | 5.4%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $940 | $480| | Submarkets covered | 4 | 5| | Corporate tax | 25.8% | 21%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Amsterdam | Lisbon| | 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. 5-year terms with optional renewal standard. Free rent of 3-5 months and TI of €50-€90/sqm typical.| | Tax note | Headline corporate tax 25.8% (19% on first €200k). Innovation Box and participation exemption regimes are meaningful. | 21% Portuguese corporate income tax (IRC) plus municipal surcharge of up to 1.5% plus state surcharge for large profits. IFICI regime for inbound qualifying talent provides reduced personal income tax.| ## Talent | Metric | Amsterdam | Lisbon| | Talent index (0–100) | 86 | 78| | Talent note | Strong English-fluent professional talent pool. Average all-in compensation indexes 86. | Deep tech, BPO, and creative talent. Strong feed from Universidade de Lisboa, Universidade Nova, and ISCTE. English-fluent professional base supports international corporate HQs.| ## Transit & commute **Amsterdam:** Schiphol Airport is 7 minutes by direct train from Zuidas. Strong S-Bahn equivalent (Sprinter / Intercity) coverage. **Lisbon:** Metropolitano de Lisboa (4 lines), CP suburban rail, and bus. Lisbon Airport (LIS) is on Metro Red Line (~20 minutes to Saldanha). New airport (Alcochete) under planning. ## 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 — Lisbon - [**Avenida da Liberdade**](/cities/lisbon/avenida-da-liberdade) — trophy tier · €32/sqm/mo · ≈ $38.5 PSF/yr USD - [**Saldanha (CBD)**](/cities/lisbon/saldanha-cbd) — prime tier · €28/sqm/mo · ≈ $33.7 PSF/yr USD - [**Parque das Nações**](/cities/lisbon/parque-das-nacoes) — prime tier · €26/sqm/mo · ≈ $31.3 PSF/yr USD ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Lisbon is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth Amsterdam has the deeper talent index (86/100 vs 78/100). ### Pick by tax Lisbon has the lower headline corporate tax (21% 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; Lisbon 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. Lisbon: Metropolitano de Lisboa (4 lines), CP suburban rail, and bus. Lisbon Airport (LIS) is on Metro Red Line (~20 minutes to Saldanha). New airport (Alcochete) under planning. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Amsterdam, Lisbon 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 Lisbon?**** : Lisbon is cheaper on a USD basis: $34/sqft vs $54/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Amsterdam or Lisbon?**** : Amsterdam indexes higher on talent depth (86 vs 78). ****Which has more sublease availability, Amsterdam or Lisbon?**** : Lisbon carries higher vacancy (7.8% vs 7.2%) and therefore typically more [sublease](/topics/sublease-strategy)">sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Amsterdam vs Lisbon?**** : Amsterdam typical term is 7 years with 12 months rent-free; Lisbon 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. Lisbon: Metropolitano de Lisboa (4 lines), CP suburban rail, and bus. Lisbon Airport (LIS) is on Metro Red Line (~20 minutes to Saldanha). New airport (Alcochete) under planning. ## 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-lisbon), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.