--- title: "San Francisco vs Singapore: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for San Francisco and Singapore — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/san-francisco-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)." --- > San Francisco ($78/sqft, 31.5% vacancy) and Singapore ($102/sqft, 5.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: San Francisco on talent depth and Singapore on rent and tax. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: San Francisco $78/sqft vs Singapore $102/sqft. - Vacancy: San Francisco 31.5% vs Singapore 5.4%. - Talent index: San Francisco 98 vs Singapore 92. - Corporate tax: San Francisco 27% vs Singapore 17%. - Premium flex/seat/month: San Francisco $1,280 vs Singapore $1,180. # San Francisco vs Singapore: Class A office comparison **San Francisco ($78/sqft, 31.5% vacancy) and Singapore ($102/sqft, 5.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: San Francisco on talent depth and Singapore on rent and tax.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: San Francisco $78/sqft vs Singapore $102/sqft. - Vacancy: San Francisco 31.5% vs Singapore 5.4%. - Talent index: San Francisco 98 vs Singapore 92. - Corporate tax: San Francisco 27% vs Singapore 17%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: San Francisco $1,280 vs Singapore $1,180. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | San Francisco | Singapore| | Region | Americas | APAC| | Country | United States | Singapore| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $78 | $102| | Class A rent (local) | 78 USD | 11.5 SGD| | Vacancy | 31.5% | 5.4%| | Trend | rising | rising| | Prime yield | 6.5% | 3.6%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $1,280 | $1,180| | Submarkets covered | 6 | 6| | Corporate tax | 27% | 17%| ## Lease norms | Metric | San Francisco | Singapore| | Typical term | 7 yrs | 4 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 22 mos | 6 mos| | Lease norms | Modified-gross with operating-expense escalations over a base year. Rent-free of 18-30 months on a 10-year term is current market for trophy assets in lease-up. TI of $150-$220/sqft is achievable. Termination options at year 5 are increasingly negotiable. | 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 | Combined federal + California corporate tax effectively reaches 27%. San Francisco gross receipts tax applies to most occupiers; payroll tax is now phased out. | 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 | San Francisco | Singapore| | Talent index (0–100) | 98 | 92| | Talent note | Deepest AI/ML and senior software engineering talent pool globally. Average all-in compensation indexes 98 vs. New York's 100. | Premium APAC talent hub. Average all-in compensation indexes 92 vs. New York's 100.| ## Transit & commute **San Francisco:** BART, Muni, Caltrain, and the new Salesforce Transit Center anchor commute infrastructure. The Central Subway extension to Chinatown completed in 2023. **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 — San Francisco - [**Transbay**](/cities/san-francisco/transbay) — [trophy tier](/topics/trophy-asset-selection) · $105/sqft/yr - [**South of Market (SOMA)**](/cities/san-francisco/south-of-market) — trophy tier · $92/sqft/yr - [**Mission Bay & SoMa**](/cities/san-francisco/mission-bay-soma) — prime tier · $80/sqft/yr ## 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 San Francisco is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth San Francisco has the deeper talent index (98/100 vs 92/100). ### Pick by tax Singapore has the lower headline corporate tax (17% vs 27%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality San Francisco typical term is 7 years with 22 months free; Singapore runs 4 years with 6 months free. ### Pick by transit San Francisco: BART, Muni, Caltrain, and the new Salesforce Transit Center anchor commute infrastructure. The Central Subway extension to Chinatown completed in 2023. 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 San Francisco, 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 San Francisco or Singapore?**** : San Francisco is cheaper on a USD basis: $78/sqft vs $102/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, San Francisco or Singapore?**** : San Francisco indexes higher on talent depth (98 vs 92). ****Which has more sublease availability, San Francisco or Singapore?**** : San Francisco carries higher vacancy (31.5% vs 5.4%) and therefore typically more [sublease](/glossary/sublease) overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in San Francisco vs Singapore?**** : San Francisco typical term is 7 years with 22 months rent-free; Singapore typical term is 4 years with 6 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : San Francisco: BART, Muni, Caltrain, and the new Salesforce Transit Center anchor commute infrastructure. The Central Subway extension to Chinatown completed in 2023. 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 [**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/san-francisco-vs-singapore), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.