--- title: "London vs Zurich: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for London and Zurich — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/london-vs-zurich 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 Zurich ($105/sqft, 3.8% vacancy) compete on different axes: London on talent depth and Zurich on talent depth. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: London $121/sqft vs Zurich $105/sqft. - Vacancy: London 8.6% vs Zurich 3.8%. - Talent index: London 96 vs Zurich 96. - Corporate tax: London 25% vs Zurich 19.7%. - Premium flex/seat/month: London $1,380 vs Zurich $1,280. # London vs Zurich: Class A office comparison **London ($121/sqft, 8.6% vacancy) and Zurich ($105/sqft, 3.8% vacancy) compete on different axes: London on talent depth and Zurich on talent depth.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: London $121/sqft vs Zurich $105/sqft. - Vacancy: London 8.6% vs Zurich 3.8%. - Talent index: London 96 vs Zurich 96. - Corporate tax: London 25% vs Zurich 19.7%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: London $1,380 vs Zurich $1,280. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | London | Zurich| | Region | EMEA | EMEA| | Country | United Kingdom | Switzerland| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $121 | $105| | Class A rent (local) | 95 GBP | 95 CHF| | Vacancy | 8.6% | 3.8%| | Trend | rising | flat| | Prime yield | 4.5% | 3.2%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $1,380 | $1,280| | Submarkets covered | 7 | 5| | Corporate tax | 25% | 19.7%| ## Lease norms | Metric | London | Zurich| | Typical term | 10 yrs | 7 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. | Standard 5-10 year leases. Rent indexed to Swiss CPI annually. Nebenkosten billed separately. Cautio (deposit) of 3-6 months standard. Cantonal stamp duty applies.| | 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. | Effective combined federal + cantonal + municipal corporate tax in Zurich approximately 19.7%. Switzerland's tax cooperation regimes for multinationals (e.g. Patent Box) are meaningful.| ## Talent | Metric | London | Zurich| | Talent index (0–100) | 96 | 96| | Talent note | Largest financial-services and technology talent pool in EMEA. Average all-in compensation indexes 96 vs. New York's 100. | Deepest financial and pharma talent pool in continental Europe per capita. Average all-in compensation indexes 96.| ## 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. **Zurich:** Zurich Hauptbahnhof anchors SBB and S-Bahn. Tram network covers the central city. Zurich Airport is 12 minutes by S-Bahn. ## 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 — Zurich - [**Bahnhofstrasse / Paradeplatz**](/cities/zurich/bahnhofstrasse-paradeplatz) — trophy tier · CHF 110/sqft/yr · ≈ $121 PSF/yr USD - [**Seefeld**](/cities/zurich/seefeld) — prime tier · CHF 80/sqft/yr · ≈ $88 PSF/yr USD - [**Zürich-West**](/cities/zurich/zurich-west) — prime tier · CHF 75/sqft/yr · ≈ $82.5 PSF/yr USD ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Zurich is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth Talent data not available for comparison. ### Pick by tax Zurich has the lower headline corporate tax (19.7% vs 25%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality London typical term is 10 years with 24 months free; Zurich runs 7 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. Zurich: Zurich Hauptbahnhof anchors SBB and S-Bahn. Tram network covers the central city. Zurich Airport is 12 minutes by S-Bahn. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score London, Zurich 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 Zurich?**** : Zurich is cheaper on a USD basis: $105/sqft vs $121/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, London or Zurich?**** : Roughly comparable. ****Which has more sublease availability, London or Zurich?**** : London carries higher vacancy (8.6% vs 3.8%) and therefore typically more sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in London vs Zurich?**** : London typical term is 10 years with 24 months rent-free; Zurich typical term is 7 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. Zurich: Zurich Hauptbahnhof anchors SBB and S-Bahn. Tram network covers the central city. Zurich Airport is 12 minutes by S-Bahn. ## 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-zurich), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.