--- title: "Los Angeles vs Sydney: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Los Angeles and Sydney — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/los-angeles-vs-sydney pageType: comparison lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)." --- > Los Angeles ($65/sqft, 22.5% vacancy) and Sydney ($89/sqft, 12.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Los Angeles on talent depth and Sydney on rent and tax. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Los Angeles $65/sqft vs Sydney $89/sqft. - Vacancy: Los Angeles 22.5% vs Sydney 12.6%. - Talent index: Los Angeles 92 vs Sydney 85. - Corporate tax: Los Angeles 27% vs Sydney 30%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Los Angeles $1,080 vs Sydney $990. # Los Angeles vs Sydney: Class A office comparison **Los Angeles ($65/sqft, 22.5% vacancy) and Sydney ($89/sqft, 12.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Los Angeles on talent depth and Sydney on rent and tax.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Los Angeles $65/sqft vs Sydney $89/sqft. - Vacancy: Los Angeles 22.5% vs Sydney 12.6%. - Talent index: Los Angeles 92 vs Sydney 85. - Corporate tax: Los Angeles 27% vs Sydney 30%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Los Angeles $1,080 vs Sydney $990. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Los Angeles | Sydney| | Region | Americas | APAC| | Country | United States | Australia| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $65 | $89| | Class A rent (local) | 65 USD | 1480 AUD| | Vacancy | 22.5% | 12.6%| | Trend | flat | flat| | Prime yield | 5.8% | 5.5%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $1,080 | $990| | Submarkets covered | 6 | 6| | Corporate tax | 27% | 30%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Los Angeles | Sydney| | Typical term | 7 yrs | 7 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 14 mos | 30 mos| | Lease norms | 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. | Standard 5-10 year lease. Gross or net structure (both common). Australian leases distinguish 'face rent' (headline) from 'effective rent' (face minus incentive). Incentives of 30-40% are now standard — typically structured as rent abatement, fit-out">fit-out contribution, or both.| | Tax note | Combined federal + California corporate tax effectively 27%. LA City business license tax applies. | Federal corporate tax 30%. NSW payroll tax applies. No state corporate income tax.| ## Talent | Metric | Los Angeles | Sydney| | Talent index (0–100) | 92 | 85| | Talent note | Deepest entertainment, streaming, gaming, and aerospace talent pool in the world. Average all-in compensation indexes 92 vs. New York. | Australia's deepest financial-services, technology, and professional-services talent pool. Average all-in compensation indexes 85.| ## Transit & commute **Los Angeles:** Metro Rail expansion (Purple Line extension, K Line) is reshaping commute economics — but LA remains predominantly car-based. **Sydney:** Sydney Metro and Sydney Trains converge at Wynyard, Town Hall, and Central. The new Sydney Metro City & Southwest line transformed core CBD commute capacity. ## 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 ## Top submarkets — Sydney - [**Circular Quay & Bridge**](/cities/sydney/circular-quay-bridge) — trophy tier · A$1,620/sqm/yr · ≈ $97.8 PSF/yr USD - [**Core CBD**](/cities/sydney/core-cbd) — trophy tier · A$1,500/sqm/yr · ≈ $90.6 PSF/yr USD - [**Barangaroo**](/cities/sydney/barangaroo) — trophy tier · A$1,450/sqm/yr · ≈ $87.6 PSF/yr USD ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Los Angeles is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth Los Angeles has the deeper talent index (92/100 vs 85/100). ### Pick by tax Los Angeles has the lower headline corporate tax (27% vs 30%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality Los Angeles typical term is 7 years with 14 months free; Sydney runs 7 years with 30 months free. ### Pick by transit Los Angeles: Metro Rail expansion (Purple Line extension, K Line) is reshaping commute economics — but LA remains predominantly car-based. Sydney: Sydney Metro and Sydney Trains converge at Wynyard, Town Hall, and Central. The new Sydney Metro City & Southwest line transformed core CBD commute capacity. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Los Angeles, Sydney 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 Los Angeles or Sydney?**** : Los Angeles is cheaper on a USD basis: $65/sqft vs $89/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Los Angeles or Sydney?**** : Los Angeles indexes higher on talent depth (92 vs 85). ****Which has more sublease availability, Los Angeles or Sydney?**** : Los Angeles carries higher vacancy (22.5% vs 12.6%) and therefore typically more sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Los Angeles vs Sydney?**** : Los Angeles typical term is 7 years with 14 months rent-free; Sydney typical term is 7 years with 30 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : Los Angeles: Metro Rail expansion (Purple Line extension, K Line) is reshaping commute economics — but LA remains predominantly car-based. Sydney: Sydney Metro and Sydney Trains converge at Wynyard, Town Hall, and Central. The new Sydney Metro City & Southwest line transformed core CBD commute capacity. ## Editorial provenance Reviewed by [**Miriam Hollander**](/about/authors/miriam-hollander) — Lead market analyst. 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/los-angeles-vs-sydney), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.