--- title: "Dublin vs London: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Dublin and London — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/dublin-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)." --- > Dublin ($78/sqft, 14.3% vacancy) and London ($121/sqft, 8.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Dublin on rent and tax and London on talent depth. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Dublin $78/sqft vs London $121/sqft. - Vacancy: Dublin 14.3% vs London 8.6%. - Talent index: Dublin 86 vs London 96. - Corporate tax: Dublin 12.5% vs London 25%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Dublin $720 vs London $1,380. # Dublin vs London: Class A office comparison **Dublin ($78/sqft, 14.3% vacancy) and London ($121/sqft, 8.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Dublin on rent and tax and London on talent depth.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Dublin $78/sqft vs London $121/sqft. - Vacancy: Dublin 14.3% vs London 8.6%. - Talent index: Dublin 86 vs London 96. - Corporate tax: Dublin 12.5% vs London 25%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Dublin $720 vs London $1,380. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Dublin | London| | Region | EMEA | EMEA| | Country | Ireland | United Kingdom| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $78 | $121| | Class A rent (local) | 65 EUR | 95 GBP| | Vacancy | 14.3% | 8.6%| | Trend | softening | rising| | Prime yield | 4.8% | 4.5%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $720 | $1,380| | Submarkets covered | 5 | 7| | Corporate tax | 12.5% | 25%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Dublin | London| | Typical term | 10 yrs | 10 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 12 mos | 24 mos| | Lease norms | 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 | Dublin | London| | Talent index (0–100) | 86 | 96| | Talent note | 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. | Largest financial-services and technology talent pool in EMEA. Average all-in compensation indexes 96 vs. New York's 100.| ## Transit & commute **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. **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 — 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 ## 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 Dublin is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth London has the deeper talent index (96/100 vs 86/100). ### Pick by tax Dublin has the lower headline corporate tax (12.5% vs 25%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality Dublin typical term is 10 years with 12 months free; London runs 10 years with 24 months free. ### Pick by transit 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. 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 Dublin, 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 Dublin or London?**** : Dublin is cheaper on a USD basis: $78/sqft vs $121/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Dublin or London?**** : London indexes higher on talent depth (96 vs 86). ****Which has more sublease availability, Dublin or London?**** : Dublin carries higher vacancy (14.3% vs 8.6%) and therefore typically more sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Dublin vs London?**** : Dublin typical term is 10 years with 12 months rent-free; London typical term is 10 years with 24 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : 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. 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/dublin-vs-london), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.