--- title: "Madrid vs Paris: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Madrid and Paris — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/madrid-vs-paris pageType: comparison lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)." --- > Madrid ($41/sqft, 8.6% vacancy) and Paris ($103/sqft, 7.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Madrid on rent and tax and Paris on talent depth. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Madrid $41/sqft vs Paris $103/sqft. - Vacancy: Madrid 8.6% vs Paris 7.6%. - Talent index: Madrid 78 vs Paris 90. - Corporate tax: Madrid 25% vs Paris 25%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Madrid $780 vs Paris $1,180. # Madrid vs Paris: Class A office comparison **Madrid ($41/sqft, 8.6% vacancy) and Paris ($103/sqft, 7.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Madrid on rent and tax and Paris on talent depth.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Madrid $41/sqft vs Paris $103/sqft. - Vacancy: Madrid 8.6% vs Paris 7.6%. - Talent index: Madrid 78 vs Paris 90. - Corporate tax: Madrid 25% vs Paris 25%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Madrid $780 vs Paris $1,180. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Madrid | Paris| | Region | EMEA | EMEA| | Country | Spain | France| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $41 | $103| | Class A rent (local) | 38 EUR | 95 EUR| | Vacancy | 8.6% | 7.6%| | Trend | rising | rising| | Prime yield | 4.6% | 4%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $780 | $1,180| | Submarkets covered | 5 | 6| | Corporate tax | 25% | 25%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Madrid | Paris| | Typical term | 7 yrs | 9 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 14 mos | 18 mos| | Lease norms | Standard 5-year lease with 5-year extension option (5+5). Rent indexed to CPI annually. Service charges billed separately. Tenant typically pays IBI (real estate tax) and basura (waste tax). Bank guarantee of 3-6 months standard. | The bail commercial is the standard lease — 9 years with tenant break rights at year 3 and year 6. Rent is indexed annually to the ILAT or ICC indices. Rent-free of 12-24 months on a 9-year term is standard. Service charges and tax foncière are typically passed through. Restoration to original is the default obligation.| | Tax note | Headline corporate tax 25%. Madrid region offers some of Spain's most competitive personal income tax rates. | Headline corporate tax 25%. Local cotisation foncière des entreprises (CFE) and contribution sur la valeur ajoutée des entreprises (CVAE) add a meaningful local layer. Île-de-France tertiary tax (TSB) applies to office occupiers.| ## Talent | Metric | Madrid | Paris| | Talent index (0–100) | 78 | 90| | Talent note | Iberian peninsula's deepest financial-services and tech talent pool. Average all-in compensation indexes 78. | Strong financial-services and luxury-brand talent pool. Average all-in compensation indexes 90 vs. New York's 100.| ## Transit & commute **Madrid:** Madrid Metro covers all Class A clusters. AVE high-speed rail to Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, and Lisbon. Madrid-Barajas Airport is 12-25 minutes from CBD by Metro. **Paris:** RER A and the Métro span the entire QCA. The Grand Paris Express network is materially reshaping Greater Paris commute economics through 2030. ## Top submarkets — Madrid - [**Cuatro Torres**](/cities/madrid/cuatro-torres) — [trophy tier](/topics/trophy-asset-selection) · €50/sqft/yr · ≈ $54 PSF/yr USD - [**Castellana & AZCA**](/cities/madrid/castellana-azca) — trophy tier · €45/sqft/yr · ≈ $48.6 PSF/yr USD - [**Méndez Álvaro / Atocha**](/cities/madrid/mendez-alvaro) — prime tier · €32/sqft/yr · ≈ $34.6 PSF/yr USD ## Top submarkets — Paris - [**Quartier Central des Affaires**](/cities/paris/qca) — trophy tier · €105/sqft/yr · ≈ $113 PSF/yr USD - [**Paris Rive Gauche**](/cities/paris/paris-rive-gauche) — prime tier · €78/sqft/yr · ≈ $84.2 PSF/yr USD - [**Neuilly & Levallois**](/cities/paris/neuilly-levallois) — prime tier · €70/sqft/yr · ≈ $75.6 PSF/yr USD ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Madrid is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth Paris has the deeper talent index (90/100 vs 78/100). ### Pick by tax Tax data not available for comparison. ### Pick by lease optionality Madrid typical term is 7 years with 14 months free; Paris runs 9 years with 18 months free. ### Pick by transit Madrid: Madrid Metro covers all Class A clusters. AVE high-speed rail to Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, and Lisbon. Madrid-Barajas Airport is 12-25 minutes from CBD by Metro. Paris: RER A and the Métro span the entire QCA. The Grand Paris Express network is materially reshaping Greater Paris commute economics through 2030. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Madrid, Paris 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 Madrid or Paris?**** : Madrid is cheaper on a USD basis: $41/sqft vs $103/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Madrid or Paris?**** : Paris indexes higher on talent depth (90 vs 78). ****Which has more sublease availability, Madrid or Paris?**** : Madrid carries higher vacancy (8.6% vs 7.6%) and therefore typically more [sublease](/topics/sublease-strategy)">sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Madrid vs Paris?**** : Madrid typical term is 7 years with 14 months rent-free; Paris typical term is 9 years with 18 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : Madrid: Madrid Metro covers all Class A clusters. AVE high-speed rail to Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, and Lisbon. Madrid-Barajas Airport is 12-25 minutes from CBD by Metro. Paris: RER A and the Métro span the entire QCA. The Grand Paris Express network is materially reshaping Greater Paris commute economics through 2030. ## 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/madrid-vs-paris), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.