--- title: "Amsterdam vs Madrid: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Amsterdam and Madrid — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/amsterdam-vs-madrid 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 Madrid ($41/sqft, 8.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Amsterdam on talent depth and Madrid on rent and tax. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Amsterdam $54/sqft vs Madrid $41/sqft. - Vacancy: Amsterdam 7.2% vs Madrid 8.6%. - Talent index: Amsterdam 86 vs Madrid 78. - Corporate tax: Amsterdam 25.8% vs Madrid 25%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Amsterdam $940 vs Madrid $780. # Amsterdam vs Madrid: Class A office comparison **Amsterdam ($54/sqft, 7.2% vacancy) and Madrid ($41/sqft, 8.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Amsterdam on talent depth and Madrid on rent and tax.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Amsterdam $54/sqft vs Madrid $41/sqft. - Vacancy: Amsterdam 7.2% vs Madrid 8.6%. - Talent index: Amsterdam 86 vs Madrid 78. - Corporate tax: Amsterdam 25.8% vs Madrid 25%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Amsterdam $940 vs Madrid $780. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Amsterdam | Madrid| | Region | EMEA | EMEA| | Country | Netherlands | Spain| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $54 | $41| | Class A rent (local) | 50 EUR | 38 EUR| | Vacancy | 7.2% | 8.6%| | Trend | rising | rising| | Prime yield | 4.5% | 4.6%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $940 | $780| | Submarkets covered | 4 | 5| | Corporate tax | 25.8% | 25%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Amsterdam | Madrid| | Typical term | 7 yrs | 7 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 12 mos | 14 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. | Standard 5-year lease with 5-year extension option (5+5). Rent indexed to CPI annually. Service charges billed separately. Tenant typically pays IBI (real estate tax) and basura (waste tax). Bank guarantee of 3-6 months standard.| | Tax note | Headline corporate tax 25.8% (19% on first €200k). Innovation Box and participation exemption regimes are meaningful. | Headline corporate tax 25%. Madrid region offers some of Spain's most competitive personal income tax rates.| ## Talent | Metric | Amsterdam | Madrid| | Talent index (0–100) | 86 | 78| | Talent note | Strong English-fluent professional talent pool. Average all-in compensation indexes 86. | Iberian peninsula's deepest financial-services and tech talent pool. Average all-in compensation indexes 78.| ## Transit & commute **Amsterdam:** Schiphol Airport is 7 minutes by direct train from Zuidas. Strong S-Bahn equivalent (Sprinter / Intercity) coverage. **Madrid:** Madrid Metro covers all Class A clusters. AVE high-speed rail to Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, and Lisbon. Madrid-Barajas Airport is 12-25 minutes from CBD by Metro. ## 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 — Madrid - [**Cuatro Torres**](/cities/madrid/cuatro-torres) — trophy tier · €50/sqft/yr · ≈ $54 PSF/yr USD - [**Castellana & AZCA**](/cities/madrid/castellana-azca) — trophy tier · €45/sqft/yr · ≈ $48.6 PSF/yr USD - [**Méndez Álvaro / Atocha**](/cities/madrid/mendez-alvaro) — prime tier · €32/sqft/yr · ≈ $34.6 PSF/yr USD ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Madrid 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 Madrid 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; Madrid runs 7 years with 14 months free. ### Pick by transit Amsterdam: Schiphol Airport is 7 minutes by direct train from Zuidas. Strong S-Bahn equivalent (Sprinter / Intercity) coverage. Madrid: Madrid Metro covers all Class A clusters. AVE high-speed rail to Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, and Lisbon. Madrid-Barajas Airport is 12-25 minutes from CBD by Metro. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Amsterdam, Madrid 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 Madrid?**** : Madrid is cheaper on a USD basis: $41/sqft vs $54/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Amsterdam or Madrid?**** : Amsterdam indexes higher on talent depth (86 vs 78). ****Which has more sublease availability, Amsterdam or Madrid?**** : Madrid carries higher vacancy (8.6% vs 7.2%) and therefore typically more [sublease](/topics/sublease-strategy)">sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Amsterdam vs Madrid?**** : Amsterdam typical term is 7 years with 12 months rent-free; Madrid typical term is 7 years with 14 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. Madrid: Madrid Metro covers all Class A clusters. AVE high-speed rail to Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, and Lisbon. Madrid-Barajas Airport is 12-25 minutes from CBD by Metro. ## 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-madrid), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.