--- title: "Berlin vs Warsaw: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Berlin and Warsaw — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/berlin-vs-warsaw 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 Warsaw ($25/sqft, 11.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: Berlin on talent depth and Warsaw on rent and tax. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Berlin $53/sqft vs Warsaw $25/sqft. - Vacancy: Berlin 7.4% vs Warsaw 11.4%. - Talent index: Berlin 88 vs Warsaw 80. - Corporate tax: Berlin 30% vs Warsaw 19%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Berlin $580 vs Warsaw $380. # Berlin vs Warsaw: Class A office comparison **Berlin ($53/sqft, 7.4% vacancy) and Warsaw ($25/sqft, 11.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: Berlin on talent depth and Warsaw on rent and tax.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Berlin $53/sqft vs Warsaw $25/sqft. - Vacancy: Berlin 7.4% vs Warsaw 11.4%. - Talent index: Berlin 88 vs Warsaw 80. - Corporate tax: Berlin 30% vs Warsaw 19%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Berlin $580 vs Warsaw $380. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Berlin | Warsaw| | Region | EMEA | EMEA| | Country | Germany | Poland| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $53 | $25| | Class A rent (local) | 44 EUR | 1080 PLN| | Vacancy | 7.4% | 11.4%| | Trend | flat | rising| | Prime yield | 4.3% | 5.6%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $580 | $380| | Submarkets covered | 5 | 5| | Corporate tax | 30% | 19%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Berlin | Warsaw| | Typical term | 5 yrs | 5 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 4 mos | 6 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. | Net leases (tenant pays opex, taxes, insurance separately). 5-7 year terms standard. Free rent of 4-9 months and TI of PLN 250-400/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%. | 19% Polish corporate income tax (CIT). 9% reduced rate for small taxpayers. R&D tax credit available. Estonian-style CIT regime available for SMEs.| ## Talent | Metric | Berlin | Warsaw| | Talent index (0–100) | 88 | 80| | 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. | Deepest tech, banking, and business services talent in Central Europe. Strong feed from University of Warsaw, Warsaw University of Technology, and Warsaw School of Economics. Polish-English bilingual professional base.| ## 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. **Warsaw:** Warsaw Metro (M1, M2 lines), tram, and bus. SKM commuter rail. Warsaw Chopin Airport is connected via SKM commuter rail (~25 minutes). Modlin Airport serves low-cost carriers. ## 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 — Warsaw - [**Wola**](/cities/warsaw/wola) — trophy tier · PLN 1,100/sqm/yr · ≈ $25.5 PSF/yr USD - [**Centrum (CBD)**](/cities/warsaw/centrum-cbd) — prime tier · PLN 1,000/sqm/yr · ≈ $23.2 PSF/yr USD - [**Powiśle & Praga**](/cities/warsaw/powisle-praga) — prime tier · PLN 800/sqm/yr · ≈ $18.6 PSF/yr USD ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Warsaw is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth Berlin has the deeper talent index (88/100 vs 80/100). ### Pick by tax Warsaw has the lower headline corporate tax (19% vs 30%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality Berlin typical term is 5 years with 4 months free; Warsaw runs 5 years with 6 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. Warsaw: Warsaw Metro (M1, M2 lines), tram, and bus. SKM commuter rail. Warsaw Chopin Airport is connected via SKM commuter rail (~25 minutes). Modlin Airport serves low-cost carriers. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Berlin, Warsaw 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 Warsaw?**** : Warsaw is cheaper on a USD basis: $25/sqft vs $53/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Berlin or Warsaw?**** : Berlin indexes higher on talent depth (88 vs 80). ****Which has more sublease availability, Berlin or Warsaw?**** : Warsaw carries higher vacancy (11.4% vs 7.4%) and therefore typically more [sublease](/topics/sublease-strategy)">sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Berlin vs Warsaw?**** : Berlin typical term is 5 years with 4 months rent-free; Warsaw typical term is 5 years with 6 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. Warsaw: Warsaw Metro (M1, M2 lines), tram, and bus. SKM commuter rail. Warsaw Chopin Airport is connected via SKM commuter rail (~25 minutes). Modlin Airport serves low-cost carriers. ## 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-warsaw), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.