--- title: "Amsterdam vs Zurich: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Amsterdam and Zurich — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/amsterdam-vs-zurich 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 Zurich ($105/sqft, 3.8% vacancy) compete on different axes: Amsterdam on rent and tax and Zurich on talent depth. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Amsterdam $54/sqft vs Zurich $105/sqft. - Vacancy: Amsterdam 7.2% vs Zurich 3.8%. - Talent index: Amsterdam 86 vs Zurich 96. - Corporate tax: Amsterdam 25.8% vs Zurich 19.7%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Amsterdam $940 vs Zurich $1,280. # Amsterdam vs Zurich: Class A office comparison **Amsterdam ($54/sqft, 7.2% vacancy) and Zurich ($105/sqft, 3.8% vacancy) compete on different axes: Amsterdam on rent and tax and Zurich on talent depth.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Amsterdam $54/sqft vs Zurich $105/sqft. - Vacancy: Amsterdam 7.2% vs Zurich 3.8%. - Talent index: Amsterdam 86 vs Zurich 96. - Corporate tax: Amsterdam 25.8% vs Zurich 19.7%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Amsterdam $940 vs Zurich $1,280. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Amsterdam | Zurich| | Region | EMEA | EMEA| | Country | Netherlands | Switzerland| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $54 | $105| | Class A rent (local) | 50 EUR | 95 CHF| | Vacancy | 7.2% | 3.8%| | Trend | rising | flat| | Prime yield | 4.5% | 3.2%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $940 | $1,280| | Submarkets covered | 4 | 5| | Corporate tax | 25.8% | 19.7%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Amsterdam | Zurich| | Typical term | 7 yrs | 7 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 12 mos | 6 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 5-10 year leases. Rent indexed to Swiss CPI annually. Nebenkosten billed separately. Cautio (deposit) of 3-6 months standard. Cantonal stamp duty applies.| | Tax note | Headline corporate tax 25.8% (19% on first €200k). Innovation Box and participation exemption regimes are meaningful. | Effective combined federal + cantonal + municipal corporate tax in Zurich approximately 19.7%. Switzerland's tax cooperation regimes for multinationals (e.g. Patent Box) are meaningful.| ## Talent | Metric | Amsterdam | Zurich| | Talent index (0–100) | 86 | 96| | Talent note | Strong English-fluent professional talent pool. Average all-in compensation indexes 86. | Deepest financial and pharma talent pool in continental Europe per capita. Average all-in compensation indexes 96.| ## Transit & commute **Amsterdam:** Schiphol Airport is 7 minutes by direct train from Zuidas. Strong S-Bahn equivalent (Sprinter / Intercity) coverage. **Zurich:** Zurich Hauptbahnhof anchors SBB and S-Bahn. Tram network covers the central city. Zurich Airport is 12 minutes by S-Bahn. ## 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 — Zurich - [**Bahnhofstrasse / Paradeplatz**](/cities/zurich/bahnhofstrasse-paradeplatz) — trophy tier · CHF 110/sqft/yr · ≈ $121 PSF/yr USD - [**Seefeld**](/cities/zurich/seefeld) — prime tier · CHF 80/sqft/yr · ≈ $88 PSF/yr USD - [**Zürich-West**](/cities/zurich/zurich-west) — prime tier · CHF 75/sqft/yr · ≈ $82.5 PSF/yr USD ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Amsterdam is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth Zurich has the deeper talent index (96/100 vs 86/100). ### Pick by tax Zurich has the lower headline corporate tax (19.7% 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; Zurich runs 7 years with 6 months free. ### Pick by transit Amsterdam: Schiphol Airport is 7 minutes by direct train from Zuidas. Strong S-Bahn equivalent (Sprinter / Intercity) coverage. Zurich: Zurich Hauptbahnhof anchors SBB and S-Bahn. Tram network covers the central city. Zurich Airport is 12 minutes by S-Bahn. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Amsterdam, Zurich 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 Zurich?**** : Amsterdam is cheaper on a USD basis: $54/sqft vs $105/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Amsterdam or Zurich?**** : Zurich indexes higher on talent depth (96 vs 86). ****Which has more sublease availability, Amsterdam or Zurich?**** : Amsterdam carries higher vacancy (7.2% vs 3.8%) and therefore typically more [sublease](/topics/sublease-strategy)">sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Amsterdam vs Zurich?**** : Amsterdam typical term is 7 years with 12 months rent-free; Zurich typical term is 7 years with 6 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. Zurich: Zurich Hauptbahnhof anchors SBB and S-Bahn. Tram network covers the central city. Zurich Airport is 12 minutes by S-Bahn. ## 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-zurich), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.