--- title: "London vs Los Angeles: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for London and Los Angeles — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/london-vs-los-angeles pageType: comparison lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)." --- > London ($121/sqft, 8.6% vacancy) and Los Angeles ($65/sqft, 22.5% vacancy) compete on different axes: London on talent depth and Los Angeles on rent and tax. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: London $121/sqft vs Los Angeles $65/sqft. - Vacancy: London 8.6% vs Los Angeles 22.5%. - Talent index: London 96 vs Los Angeles 92. - Corporate tax: London 25% vs Los Angeles 27%. - Premium flex/seat/month: London $1,380 vs Los Angeles $1,080. # London vs Los Angeles: Class A office comparison **London ($121/sqft, 8.6% vacancy) and Los Angeles ($65/sqft, 22.5% vacancy) compete on different axes: London on talent depth and Los Angeles on rent and tax.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: London $121/sqft vs Los Angeles $65/sqft. - Vacancy: London 8.6% vs Los Angeles 22.5%. - Talent index: London 96 vs Los Angeles 92. - Corporate tax: London 25% vs Los Angeles 27%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: London $1,380 vs Los Angeles $1,080. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | London | Los Angeles| | Region | EMEA | Americas| | Country | United Kingdom | United States| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $121 | $65| | Class A rent (local) | 95 GBP | 65 USD| | Vacancy | 8.6% | 22.5%| | Trend | rising | flat| | Prime yield | 4.5% | 5.8%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $1,380 | $1,080| | Submarkets covered | 7 | 6| | Corporate tax | 25% | 27%| ## Lease norms | Metric | London | Los Angeles| | Typical term | 10 yrs | 7 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 24 mos | 14 mos| | Lease norms | 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. | Modified-gross with op-ex escalations. Rent-free 12-20 months on a 10-year term is standard. TI of $130-$200/sqft achievable. California Civil Code 1938 disclosure (CASp) is mandatory.| | Tax note | 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. | Combined federal + California corporate tax effectively 27%. LA City business license tax applies.| ## Talent | Metric | London | Los Angeles| | Talent index (0–100) | 96 | 92| | Talent note | Largest financial-services and technology talent pool in EMEA. Average all-in compensation indexes 96 vs. New York's 100. | Deepest entertainment, streaming, gaming, and aerospace talent pool in the world. Average all-in compensation indexes 92 vs. New York.| ## Transit & commute **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. **Los Angeles:** Metro Rail expansion (Purple Line extension, K Line) is reshaping commute economics — but LA remains predominantly car-based. ## 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 ## Top submarkets — Los Angeles - [**Beverly Hills & West Hollywood**](/cities/los-angeles/beverly-hills) — trophy tier · $130/sqft/yr - [**Century City**](/cities/los-angeles/century-city) — trophy tier · $105/sqft/yr - [**Santa Monica**](/cities/los-angeles/santa-monica) — prime tier · $88/sqft/yr ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Los Angeles is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth London has the deeper talent index (96/100 vs 92/100). ### Pick by tax London has the lower headline corporate tax (25% vs 27%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality London typical term is 10 years with 24 months free; Los Angeles runs 7 years with 14 months free. ### Pick by transit 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. Los Angeles: Metro Rail expansion (Purple Line extension, K Line) is reshaping commute economics — but LA remains predominantly car-based. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score London, Los Angeles 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 London or Los Angeles?**** : Los Angeles is cheaper on a USD basis: $65/sqft vs $121/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, London or Los Angeles?**** : London indexes higher on talent depth (96 vs 92). ****Which has more sublease availability, London or Los Angeles?**** : Los Angeles carries higher vacancy (22.5% vs 8.6%) and therefore typically more sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in London vs Los Angeles?**** : London typical term is 10 years with 24 months rent-free; Los Angeles typical term is 7 years with 14 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : 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. Los Angeles: Metro Rail expansion (Purple Line extension, K Line) is reshaping commute economics — but LA remains predominantly car-based. ## 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/london-vs-los-angeles), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.