--- title: "Copenhagen vs London: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Copenhagen and London — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/copenhagen-vs-london pageType: comparison lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)." --- > Copenhagen ($32/sqft, 7.6% vacancy) and London ($121/sqft, 8.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Copenhagen on rent and tax and London on talent depth. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Copenhagen $32/sqft vs London $121/sqft. - Vacancy: Copenhagen 7.6% vs London 8.6%. - Talent index: Copenhagen 85 vs London 96. - Corporate tax: Copenhagen 22% vs London 25%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Copenhagen $720 vs London $1,380. # Copenhagen vs London: Class A office comparison **Copenhagen ($32/sqft, 7.6% vacancy) and London ($121/sqft, 8.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Copenhagen on rent and tax and London on talent depth.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Copenhagen $32/sqft vs London $121/sqft. - Vacancy: Copenhagen 7.6% vs London 8.6%. - Talent index: Copenhagen 85 vs London 96. - Corporate tax: Copenhagen 22% vs London 25%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Copenhagen $720 vs London $1,380. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Copenhagen | London| | Region | EMEA | EMEA| | Country | Denmark | United Kingdom| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $32 | $121| | Class A rent (local) | 2400 DKK | 95 GBP| | Vacancy | 7.6% | 8.6%| | Trend | flat | rising| | Prime yield | 4.4% | 4.5%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $720 | $1,380| | Submarkets covered | 5 | 7| | Corporate tax | 22% | 25%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Copenhagen | London| | Typical term | 5 yrs | 10 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 4 mos | 24 mos| | Lease norms | Net leases. 5-7 year terms with break options. Free rent of 3-6 months and TI of DKK 800-1,500/sqm typical on a 5-year deal. | London leases are predominantly Full Repairing and Insuring (FRI). Tenant pays service charge and is responsible for dilapidations on lease end. Rent reviews to open-market rent every 5 years are standard. Rent-free periods of 18-30 months on a 10-year term are typical, with 'capped' rent-free for break-clause certainty. Personal guarantees are uncommon for institutional tenants; rent deposits are common for younger covenants.| | Tax note | 22% Danish corporate income tax. R&D tax credit available. Denmark has a structural participation exemption for cross-border dividends and capital gains. Joint Danish-Swedish payroll tax considerations apply for cross-Øresund staff. | UK corporation tax is 25% (19% small profits rate). Business rates are a major occupancy cost — ~50% of rateable value annually, levied separately from rent and service charge.| ## Talent | Metric | Copenhagen | London| | Talent index (0–100) | 85 | 96| | Talent note | Deep pharma, shipping, design, and clean tech talent. Strong feed from University of Copenhagen, DTU, and Copenhagen Business School. English-fluent professional base supports international corporate HQs. | Largest financial-services and technology talent pool in EMEA. Average all-in compensation indexes 96 vs. New York's 100.| ## Transit & commute **Copenhagen:** Metro M1-M4 (M3 City Circle Line opened 2019), S-tog suburban rail, and bus. Copenhagen Airport (CPH) is connected via Metro M2 (~14 minutes to Nørreport). Copenhagen is highly bicycle-friendly. **London:** The Elizabeth Line transformed cross-London commute times. Heathrow to Liverpool Street is 35 minutes; Paddington to Canary Wharf is 17 minutes. Crossrail-adjacent assets command a measurable rent premium. ## Top submarkets — Copenhagen - [**Indre By (CBD)**](/cities/copenhagen/indre-by-cbd) — trophy tier · DKK 2,600/sqm/yr · ≈ $35 PSF/yr USD - [**Nordhavn**](/cities/copenhagen/nordhavn) — trophy tier · DKK 2,400/sqm/yr · ≈ $32.3 PSF/yr USD - [**Frederiksberg**](/cities/copenhagen/frederiksberg) — prime tier · DKK 2,100/sqm/yr · ≈ $28.3 PSF/yr USD ## Top submarkets — London - [**Mayfair & St James's**](/cities/london/mayfair-st-james) — trophy tier · £165/sqft/yr · ≈ $210 PSF/yr USD - [**City of London**](/cities/london/city-of-london) — trophy tier · £95/sqft/yr · ≈ $121 PSF/yr USD - [**Fitzrovia & Soho**](/cities/london/fitzrovia-soho) — prime tier · £110/sqft/yr · ≈ $140 PSF/yr USD ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Copenhagen is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth London has the deeper talent index (96/100 vs 85/100). ### Pick by tax Copenhagen has the lower headline corporate tax (22% vs 25%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality Copenhagen typical term is 5 years with 4 months free; London runs 10 years with 24 months free. ### Pick by transit Copenhagen: Metro M1-M4 (M3 City Circle Line opened 2019), S-tog suburban rail, and bus. Copenhagen Airport (CPH) is connected via Metro M2 (~14 minutes to Nørreport). Copenhagen is highly bicycle-friendly. London: The Elizabeth Line transformed cross-London commute times. Heathrow to Liverpool Street is 35 minutes; Paddington to Canary Wharf is 17 minutes. Crossrail-adjacent assets command a measurable rent premium. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Copenhagen, London 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 Copenhagen or London?**** : Copenhagen is cheaper on a USD basis: $32/sqft vs $121/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Copenhagen or London?**** : London indexes higher on talent depth (96 vs 85). ****Which has more sublease availability, Copenhagen or London?**** : London carries higher vacancy (8.6% vs 7.6%) and therefore typically more sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Copenhagen vs London?**** : Copenhagen typical term is 5 years with 4 months rent-free; London typical term is 10 years with 24 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : Copenhagen: Metro M1-M4 (M3 City Circle Line opened 2019), S-tog suburban rail, and bus. Copenhagen Airport (CPH) is connected via Metro M2 (~14 minutes to Nørreport). Copenhagen is highly bicycle-friendly. London: The Elizabeth Line transformed cross-London commute times. Heathrow to Liverpool Street is 35 minutes; Paddington to Canary Wharf is 17 minutes. Crossrail-adjacent assets command a measurable rent premium. ## 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/copenhagen-vs-london), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.