--- title: "Beijing vs Singapore: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Beijing and Singapore — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/beijing-vs-singapore pageType: comparison lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)." --- > Beijing ($50/sqft, 18.5% vacancy) and Singapore ($102/sqft, 5.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: Beijing on rent and tax and Singapore on talent depth. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Beijing $50/sqft vs Singapore $102/sqft. - Vacancy: Beijing 18.5% vs Singapore 5.4%. - Talent index: Beijing 90 vs Singapore 92. - Corporate tax: Beijing 25% vs Singapore 17%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Beijing $580 vs Singapore $1,180. # Beijing vs Singapore: Class A office comparison **Beijing ($50/sqft, 18.5% vacancy) and Singapore ($102/sqft, 5.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: Beijing on rent and tax and Singapore on talent depth.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Beijing $50/sqft vs Singapore $102/sqft. - Vacancy: Beijing 18.5% vs Singapore 5.4%. - Talent index: Beijing 90 vs Singapore 92. - Corporate tax: Beijing 25% vs Singapore 17%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Beijing $580 vs Singapore $1,180. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Beijing | Singapore| | Region | APAC | APAC| | Country | China | Singapore| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $50 | $102| | Class A rent (local) | 320 CNY | 11.5 SGD| | Vacancy | 18.5% | 5.4%| | Trend | softening | rising| | Prime yield | 5.6% | 3.6%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $580 | $1,180| | Submarkets covered | 5 | 6| | Corporate tax | 25% | 17%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Beijing | Singapore| | Typical term | 5 yrs | 4 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 8 mos | 6 mos| | Lease norms | Net leases. 5-7 year terms standard. Free rent of 6-12 months and TI of CNY 1,000-2,000/sqm typical on a 5-year Class A deal. | Singapore leases are typically 3-5 years, gross-rent based with the landlord covering most operating expenses inside the rent. Rent-free of 4-9 months on a 5-year term is standard. Rent reviews on renewal are open-market. Bank guarantees of 3-6 months are routine. Reinstatement at lease-end is contractual and usually significant — budget for it.| | Tax note | 25% standard Chinese corporate income tax. 15% reduced rate for High and New Technology Enterprises (HNTE). Beijing offers tech-sector subsidies in Zhongguancun and the Beijing Free Trade Zone. | Headline corporate tax of 17%, with a partial tax exemption for the first SGD 200,000 of chargeable income. A network of double-tax treaties and the Singapore Variable Capital Company (VCC) regime make Singapore particularly attractive for fund managers and family offices.| ## Talent | Metric | Beijing | Singapore| | Talent index (0–100) | 90 | 92| | Talent note | Deepest tech, finance, and government affairs talent in China. Strong feed from Tsinghua, Peking University, Renmin University, and a deep network of T-1 universities. Mandarin-only operating environment for most domestic tenants. | Premium APAC talent hub. Average all-in compensation indexes 92 vs. New York's 100.| ## Transit & commute **Beijing:** Beijing Subway (27+ lines, the world's largest by length). Beijing Capital Airport (PEK) and Daxing Airport (PKX) both rail-served. CBD walking access from multiple subway interchanges. **Singapore:** The MRT network reaches every CBD address. Changi Airport is 20 minutes by MRT or taxi. Jurong Region Line and Cross Island Line expansions are extending the catchment. ## Top submarkets — Beijing - [**CBD (Guomao)**](/cities/beijing/cbd-guomao) — [trophy tier](/topics/trophy-asset-selection) · ¥380/sqm/mo · ≈ $58.9 PSF/yr USD - [**Financial Street**](/cities/beijing/financial-street) — trophy tier · ¥360/sqm/mo · ≈ $55.8 PSF/yr USD - [**Zhongguancun**](/cities/beijing/zhongguancun) — trophy tier · ¥280/sqm/mo · ≈ $43.4 PSF/yr USD ## Top submarkets — Singapore - [**Marina Bay**](/cities/singapore/marina-bay) — trophy tier · S$14.5/sqft/mo · ≈ $129 PSF/yr USD - [**Raffles Place**](/cities/singapore/raffles-place) — trophy tier · S$13.2/sqft/mo · ≈ $117 PSF/yr USD - [**Shenton Way & Tanjong Pagar**](/cities/singapore/shenton-way-tanjong-pagar) — prime tier · S$11.5/sqft/mo · ≈ $102 PSF/yr USD ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Beijing is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth Singapore has the deeper talent index (92/100 vs 90/100). ### Pick by tax Singapore has the lower headline corporate tax (17% vs 25%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality Beijing typical term is 5 years with 8 months free; Singapore runs 4 years with 6 months free. ### Pick by transit Beijing: Beijing Subway (27+ lines, the world's largest by length). Beijing Capital Airport (PEK) and Daxing Airport (PKX) both rail-served. CBD walking access from multiple subway interchanges. Singapore: The MRT network reaches every CBD address. Changi Airport is 20 minutes by MRT or taxi. Jurong Region Line and Cross Island Line expansions are extending the catchment. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Beijing, Singapore 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 Beijing or Singapore?**** : Beijing is cheaper on a USD basis: $50/sqft vs $102/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Beijing or Singapore?**** : Singapore indexes higher on talent depth (92 vs 90). ****Which has more sublease availability, Beijing or Singapore?**** : Beijing carries higher vacancy (18.5% vs 5.4%) and therefore typically more [sublease](/topics/sublease-strategy)">sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Beijing vs Singapore?**** : Beijing typical term is 5 years with 8 months rent-free; Singapore typical term is 4 years with 6 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : Beijing: Beijing Subway (27+ lines, the world's largest by length). Beijing Capital Airport (PEK) and Daxing Airport (PKX) both rail-served. CBD walking access from multiple subway interchanges. Singapore: The MRT network reaches every CBD address. Changi Airport is 20 minutes by MRT or taxi. Jurong Region Line and Cross Island Line expansions are extending the catchment. ## Editorial provenance Reviewed by [**Kenji Watanabe**](/about/authors/kenji-watanabe) — APAC 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/beijing-vs-singapore), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.