--- title: "London vs Singapore: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for London and Singapore — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/london-vs-singapore 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 Singapore ($102/sqft, 5.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: London on talent depth and Singapore on rent and tax. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: London $121/sqft vs Singapore $102/sqft. - Vacancy: London 8.6% vs Singapore 5.4%. - Talent index: London 96 vs Singapore 92. - Corporate tax: London 25% vs Singapore 17%. - Premium flex/seat/month: London $1,380 vs Singapore $1,180. # London vs Singapore: Class A office comparison **London ($121/sqft, 8.6% vacancy) and Singapore ($102/sqft, 5.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: London on talent depth and Singapore on rent and tax.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: London $121/sqft vs Singapore $102/sqft. - Vacancy: London 8.6% vs Singapore 5.4%. - Talent index: London 96 vs Singapore 92. - Corporate tax: London 25% vs Singapore 17%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: London $1,380 vs Singapore $1,180. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | London | Singapore| | Region | EMEA | APAC| | Country | United Kingdom | Singapore| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $121 | $102| | Class A rent (local) | 95 GBP | 11.5 SGD| | Vacancy | 8.6% | 5.4%| | Trend | rising | rising| | Prime yield | 4.5% | 3.6%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $1,380 | $1,180| | Submarkets covered | 7 | 6| | Corporate tax | 25% | 17%| ## Lease norms | Metric | London | Singapore| | Typical term | 10 yrs | 4 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 24 mos | 6 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. | Singapore leases are typically 3-5 years, gross-rent based with the landlord covering most operating expenses inside the rent. Rent-free of 4-9 months on a 5-year term is standard. Rent reviews on renewal are open-market. Bank guarantees of 3-6 months are routine. Reinstatement at lease-end is contractual and usually significant — budget for it.| | 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. | Headline corporate tax of 17%, with a partial tax exemption for the first SGD 200,000 of chargeable income. A network of double-tax treaties and the Singapore Variable Capital Company (VCC) regime make Singapore particularly attractive for fund managers and family offices.| ## Talent | Metric | London | Singapore| | 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. | Premium APAC talent hub. Average all-in compensation indexes 92 vs. New York's 100.| ## 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. **Singapore:** The MRT network reaches every CBD address. Changi Airport is 20 minutes by MRT or taxi. Jurong Region Line and Cross Island Line expansions are extending the catchment. ## 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 — Singapore - [**Marina Bay**](/cities/singapore/marina-bay) — trophy tier · S$14.5/sqft/mo · ≈ $129 PSF/yr USD - [**Raffles Place**](/cities/singapore/raffles-place) — trophy tier · S$13.2/sqft/mo · ≈ $117 PSF/yr USD - [**Shenton Way & Tanjong Pagar**](/cities/singapore/shenton-way-tanjong-pagar) — prime tier · S$11.5/sqft/mo · ≈ $102 PSF/yr USD ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Singapore 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 Singapore has the lower headline corporate tax (17% vs 25%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality London typical term is 10 years with 24 months free; Singapore runs 4 years with 6 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. Singapore: The MRT network reaches every CBD address. Changi Airport is 20 minutes by MRT or taxi. Jurong Region Line and Cross Island Line expansions are extending the catchment. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score London, Singapore 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 Singapore?**** : Singapore is cheaper on a USD basis: $102/sqft vs $121/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, London or Singapore?**** : London indexes higher on talent depth (96 vs 92). ****Which has more sublease availability, London or Singapore?**** : London carries higher vacancy (8.6% vs 5.4%) and therefore typically more sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in London vs Singapore?**** : London typical term is 10 years with 24 months rent-free; Singapore typical term is 4 years with 6 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. Singapore: The MRT network reaches every CBD address. Changi Airport is 20 minutes by MRT or taxi. Jurong Region Line and Cross Island Line expansions are extending the catchment. ## 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-singapore), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.