--- title: "New York vs Paris: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for New York and Paris — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/new-york-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)." --- > New York ($102/sqft, 17.4% vacancy) and Paris ($103/sqft, 7.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: New York on talent depth and Paris on rent and tax. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: New York $102/sqft vs Paris $103/sqft. - Vacancy: New York 17.4% vs Paris 7.6%. - Talent index: New York 100 vs Paris 90. - Corporate tax: New York 27.5% vs Paris 25%. - Premium flex/seat/month: New York $1,450 vs Paris $1,180. # New York vs Paris: Class A office comparison **New York ($102/sqft, 17.4% vacancy) and Paris ($103/sqft, 7.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: New York on talent depth and Paris on rent and tax.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: New York $102/sqft vs Paris $103/sqft. - Vacancy: New York 17.4% vs Paris 7.6%. - Talent index: New York 100 vs Paris 90. - Corporate tax: New York 27.5% vs Paris 25%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: New York $1,450 vs Paris $1,180. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | New York | Paris| | Region | Americas | EMEA| | Country | United States | France| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $102 | $103| | Class A rent (local) | 102 USD | 95 EUR| | Vacancy | 17.4% | 7.6%| | Trend | rising | rising| | Prime yield | 5.6% | 4%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $1,450 | $1,180| | Submarkets covered | 7 | 6| | Corporate tax | 27.5% | 25%| ## Lease norms | Metric | New York | Paris| | Typical term | 10 yrs | 9 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 14 mos | 18 mos| | Lease norms | Manhattan leases are predominantly modified-gross structures with operating-expense and real-estate-tax escalations over a base year. Free rent (12-18 months on a 10-year term) and fit-out-capex">tenant improvement allowances ($130-$180/sqft for high-spec build-outs) are core economic levers. Personal guarantees are uncommon at institutional tenant scale; Good Guy Guarantees remain standard for smaller suites. | 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 | Combined federal + New York State + NYC corporate income tax effectively reaches 27.5% for most C-corps. New York City Commercial Rent Tax (CRT) applies to Manhattan tenants south of 96th Street paying base rents above $250,000. | 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 | New York | Paris| | Talent index (0–100) | 100 | 90| | Talent note | Deepest white-collar talent pool in the Americas. Average all-in compensation for senior knowledge workers indexes 100 (the global baseline used elsewhere in this Atlas). | Strong financial-services and luxury-brand talent pool. Average all-in compensation indexes 90 vs. New York's 100.| ## Transit & commute **New York:** MTA subway lines, Metro-North, LIRR, and PATH converge on Midtown and the Financial District, anchored by Grand Central, Penn Station, and the Oculus. Class A landlords now factor [commute time](/topics/workplace-talent-strategy) as part of their leasing pitch. **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 — New York - [**Plaza District**](/cities/new-york/plaza-district) — [trophy tier](/topics/trophy-asset-selection) · $145/sqft/yr - [**Hudson Yards**](/cities/new-york/hudson-yards) — trophy tier · $130/sqft/yr - [**Midtown**](/cities/new-york/midtown) — trophy tier · $128/sqft/yr ## 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 New York is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth New York has the deeper talent index (100/100 vs 90/100). ### Pick by tax Paris has the lower headline corporate tax (25% vs 27.5%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality New York typical term is 10 years with 14 months free; Paris runs 9 years with 18 months free. ### Pick by transit New York: MTA subway lines, Metro-North, LIRR, and PATH converge on Midtown and the Financial District, anchored by Grand Central, Penn Station, and the Oculus. Class A landlords now factor commute time as part of their leasing pitch. 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 New York, 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 New York or Paris?**** : New York is cheaper on a USD basis: $102/sqft vs $103/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, New York or Paris?**** : New York indexes higher on talent depth (100 vs 90). ****Which has more sublease availability, New York or Paris?**** : New York carries higher vacancy (17.4% vs 7.6%) and therefore typically more sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in New York vs Paris?**** : New York typical term is 10 years with 14 months rent-free; Paris typical term is 9 years with 18 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : New York: MTA subway lines, Metro-North, LIRR, and PATH converge on Midtown and the Financial District, anchored by Grand Central, Penn Station, and the Oculus. Class A landlords now factor commute time as part of their leasing pitch. 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 [**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/new-york-vs-paris), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.