--- title: "Berlin vs Dublin: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Berlin and Dublin — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/berlin-vs-dublin pageType: comparison lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)." --- > Berlin ($53/sqft, 7.4% vacancy) and Dublin ($78/sqft, 14.3% vacancy) compete on different axes: Berlin on talent depth and Dublin on rent and tax. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Berlin $53/sqft vs Dublin $78/sqft. - Vacancy: Berlin 7.4% vs Dublin 14.3%. - Talent index: Berlin 88 vs Dublin 86. - Corporate tax: Berlin 30% vs Dublin 12.5%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Berlin $580 vs Dublin $720. # Berlin vs Dublin: Class A office comparison **Berlin ($53/sqft, 7.4% vacancy) and Dublin ($78/sqft, 14.3% vacancy) compete on different axes: Berlin on talent depth and Dublin on rent and tax.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Berlin $53/sqft vs Dublin $78/sqft. - Vacancy: Berlin 7.4% vs Dublin 14.3%. - Talent index: Berlin 88 vs Dublin 86. - Corporate tax: Berlin 30% vs Dublin 12.5%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Berlin $580 vs Dublin $720. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Berlin | Dublin| | Region | EMEA | EMEA| | Country | Germany | Ireland| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $53 | $78| | Class A rent (local) | 44 EUR | 65 EUR| | Vacancy | 7.4% | 14.3%| | Trend | flat | softening| | Prime yield | 4.3% | 4.8%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $580 | $720| | Submarkets covered | 5 | 5| | Corporate tax | 30% | 12.5%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Berlin | Dublin| | Typical term | 5 yrs | 10 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 4 mos | 12 mos| | Lease norms | Net leases dominate. 5-10 year terms; tenants frequently negotiate break options at year 3 or 5. Free rent of 3-6 months on a 5-year deal; TI of €60-€100/sqm typical. | FRI (Full Repairing and Insuring) leases dominate. 10-year terms with tenant break options at year 5 standard. Free rent of 9-15 months and TI of €60-€110/sqm typical.| | Tax note | 15% federal corporate income tax plus 5.5% solidarity surcharge plus Berlin trade tax (Gewerbesteuer) of about 14.35% for an effective combined rate of about 30%. | 12.5% headline corporate tax on trading income; 25% on passive income. Knowledge Development Box (KDB) effective 6.25% rate available for qualifying IP income. R&D tax credit at 30% supplements.| ## Talent | Metric | Berlin | Dublin| | Talent index (0–100) | 88 | 86| | Talent note | Deepest tech and creative talent pool in Germany. Strong feed from TU Berlin, HU, FU, and the rapidly growing Hertie School. Multilingual talent base supports non-German European HQs. | Deep tech, pharma, finance, and legal services talent. EU talent pool accessible without immigration friction. Strong feed from TCD, UCD, and the broader Irish university system.| ## Transit & commute **Berlin:** BVG U-Bahn (10 lines), S-Bahn (15 lines), tram, and bus. Berlin is highly walkable and U-Bahn-served. BER airport (opened 2020) is connected via the S-Bahn S9. **Dublin:** Dublin Bus, Luas tram (Red, Green Lines), DART rail. MetroLink under construction (target 2031). Dublin Airport is bus-served (no rail). The Docklands trophy core is Luas Red Line and DART-served. ## Top submarkets — Berlin - [**Mitte**](/cities/berlin/mitte) — [trophy tier](/topics/trophy-asset-selection) · €50/sqm/mo · ≈ $60.2 PSF/yr USD - [**Mediaspree (Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg)**](/cities/berlin/mediaspree) — trophy tier · €46/sqm/mo · ≈ $55.4 PSF/yr USD - [**Potsdamer Platz**](/cities/berlin/potsdamer-platz) — prime tier · €44/sqm/mo · ≈ $53 PSF/yr USD ## Top submarkets — Dublin - [**Docklands & Grand Canal**](/cities/dublin/docklands-grand-canal) — trophy tier · €70/sqm/mo · ≈ $84.3 PSF/yr USD - [**CBD / St Stephen's Green**](/cities/dublin/cbd-st-stephens-green) — prime tier · €60/sqm/mo · ≈ $72.2 PSF/yr USD - [**Ballsbridge & Dublin 4**](/cities/dublin/ballsbridge-dublin-4) — prime tier · €56/sqm/mo · ≈ $67.4 PSF/yr USD ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Berlin is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth Berlin has the deeper talent index (88/100 vs 86/100). ### Pick by tax Dublin has the lower headline corporate tax (12.5% vs 30%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality Berlin typical term is 5 years with 4 months free; Dublin runs 10 years with 12 months free. ### Pick by transit Berlin: BVG U-Bahn (10 lines), S-Bahn (15 lines), tram, and bus. Berlin is highly walkable and U-Bahn-served. BER airport (opened 2020) is connected via the S-Bahn S9. Dublin: Dublin Bus, Luas tram (Red, Green Lines), DART rail. MetroLink under construction (target 2031). Dublin Airport is bus-served (no rail). The Docklands trophy core is Luas Red Line and DART-served. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Berlin, Dublin 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 Berlin or Dublin?**** : Berlin is cheaper on a USD basis: $53/sqft vs $78/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Berlin or Dublin?**** : Berlin indexes higher on talent depth (88 vs 86). ****Which has more sublease availability, Berlin or Dublin?**** : Dublin carries higher vacancy (14.3% vs 7.4%) and therefore typically more [sublease](/topics/sublease-strategy)">sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Berlin vs Dublin?**** : Berlin typical term is 5 years with 4 months rent-free; Dublin typical term is 10 years with 12 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : Berlin: BVG U-Bahn (10 lines), S-Bahn (15 lines), tram, and bus. Berlin is highly walkable and U-Bahn-served. BER airport (opened 2020) is connected via the S-Bahn S9. Dublin: Dublin Bus, Luas tram (Red, Green Lines), DART rail. MetroLink under construction (target 2031). Dublin Airport is bus-served (no rail). The Docklands trophy core is Luas Red Line and DART-served. ## 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/berlin-vs-dublin), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.