--- title: "Lagos vs Nairobi: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Lagos and Nairobi — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/lagos-vs-nairobi pageType: comparison lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)." --- > Lagos ($60/sqft, 17.6% vacancy) and Nairobi ($11/sqft, 21.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: Lagos on talent depth and Nairobi on rent and tax. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Lagos $60/sqft vs Nairobi $11/sqft. - Vacancy: Lagos 17.6% vs Nairobi 21.4%. - Talent index: Lagos 74 vs Nairobi 72. - Corporate tax: Lagos 30% vs Nairobi 30%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Lagos $360 vs Nairobi $320. # Lagos vs Nairobi: Class A office comparison **Lagos ($60/sqft, 17.6% vacancy) and Nairobi ($11/sqft, 21.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: Lagos on talent depth and Nairobi on rent and tax.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Lagos $60/sqft vs Nairobi $11/sqft. - Vacancy: Lagos 17.6% vs Nairobi 21.4%. - Talent index: Lagos 74 vs Nairobi 72. - Corporate tax: Lagos 30% vs Nairobi 30%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Lagos $360 vs Nairobi $320. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Lagos | Nairobi| | Region | EMEA | EMEA| | Country | Nigeria | Kenya| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $60 | $11| | Class A rent (local) | 80000 NGN | 1300 KES| | Vacancy | 17.6% | 21.4%| | Trend | flat | flat| | Prime yield | 9.6% | 9.8%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $360 | $320| | Submarkets covered | 5 | 5| | Corporate tax | 30% | 30%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Lagos | Nairobi| | Typical term | 2 yrs | 5 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 4 mos | 6 mos| | Lease norms | USD-pegged or naira leases (USD common for international tenants). 2-3 year terms standard with renewal options. Often payable annually or 6-monthly in advance. Free rent of 3-6 months on a 3-year deal. | Net leases. 5-6 year terms with escalation clauses. Free rent of 4-8 months and TI of KES 4,000-7,000/sqm typical.| | Tax note | 30% Nigerian corporate income tax. 7.5% VAT. Tertiary Education Tax 2.5%. Investment promotion incentives available in selected free zones (Lekki Free Zone, Calabar Free Zone). | 30% Kenyan corporate income tax. EPZ (Export Processing Zone) and SEZ incentives available. Significant withholding taxes on cross-border payments.| ## Talent | Metric | Lagos | Nairobi| | Talent index (0–100) | 74 | 72| | Talent note | Deep banking, oil and gas, fintech, and creative talent. Strong English-language professional base. Strong feed from University of Lagos, Lagos Business School, and Covenant University. Nigeria's tech ecosystem (Flutterwave, Paystack, Andela) anchors deep talent. | Deep mobile money / fintech, NGO, and African operations talent. Strong English and Swahili bilingual professional base. Strong feed from University of Nairobi, Strathmore, and JKUAT.| ## Transit & commute **Lagos:** Lagos Light Rail (Blue Line operating 2023, Red Line 2024). BRT (Lagos BRT). Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) bus-served. Heavy car dependency; Third Mainland Bridge anchors Mainland-Island commute. **Nairobi:** BRT under construction; Standard Gauge Railway connects to Mombasa. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) bus-served. Nairobi Expressway connects Westlands to JKIA. Heavy car dependency. ## Top submarkets — Lagos - [**Victoria Island (VI)**](/cities/lagos/victoria-island) — [trophy tier](/topics/trophy-asset-selection) · ₦100,000/sqm/mo · ≈ $74.7 PSF/yr USD - [**Ikoyi**](/cities/lagos/ikoyi) — trophy tier · ₦95,000/sqm/mo · ≈ $71 PSF/yr USD - [**Eko Atlantic City**](/cities/lagos/eko-atlantic) — trophy tier · ₦90,000/sqm/mo · ≈ $67.2 PSF/yr USD ## Top submarkets — Nairobi - [**Westlands**](/cities/nairobi/westlands) — trophy tier · KSh1,500/sqm/mo · ≈ $13 PSF/yr USD - [**Upper Hill**](/cities/nairobi/upper-hill) — trophy tier · KSh1,400/sqm/mo · ≈ $12.2 PSF/yr USD - [**Gigiri (UN Corridor)**](/cities/nairobi/gigiri-un-corridor) — prime tier · KSh1,100/sqm/mo · ≈ $9.57 PSF/yr USD ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Nairobi is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth Lagos has the deeper talent index (74/100 vs 72/100). ### Pick by tax Tax data not available for comparison. ### Pick by lease optionality Lagos typical term is 2 years with 4 months free; Nairobi runs 5 years with 6 months free. ### Pick by transit Lagos: Lagos Light Rail (Blue Line operating 2023, Red Line 2024). BRT (Lagos BRT). Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) bus-served. Heavy car dependency; Third Mainland Bridge anchors Mainland-Island commute. Nairobi: BRT under construction; Standard Gauge Railway connects to Mombasa. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) bus-served. Nairobi Expressway connects Westlands to JKIA. Heavy car dependency. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Lagos, Nairobi 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 Lagos or Nairobi?**** : Nairobi is cheaper on a USD basis: $11/sqft vs $60/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Lagos or Nairobi?**** : Lagos indexes higher on talent depth (74 vs 72). ****Which has more sublease availability, Lagos or Nairobi?**** : Nairobi carries higher vacancy (21.4% vs 17.6%) and therefore typically more [sublease](/topics/sublease-strategy)">sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Lagos vs Nairobi?**** : Lagos typical term is 2 years with 4 months rent-free; Nairobi typical term is 5 years with 6 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : Lagos: Lagos Light Rail (Blue Line operating 2023, Red Line 2024). BRT (Lagos BRT). Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) bus-served. Heavy car dependency; Third Mainland Bridge anchors Mainland-Island commute. Nairobi: BRT under construction; Standard Gauge Railway connects to Mombasa. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) bus-served. Nairobi Expressway connects Westlands to JKIA. Heavy car dependency. ## 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/lagos-vs-nairobi), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.