--- title: "San Francisco vs Sydney: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for San Francisco and Sydney — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/san-francisco-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)." --- > San Francisco ($78/sqft, 31.5% vacancy) and Sydney ($89/sqft, 12.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: San Francisco on talent depth and Sydney on rent and tax. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: San Francisco $78/sqft vs Sydney $89/sqft. - Vacancy: San Francisco 31.5% vs Sydney 12.6%. - Talent index: San Francisco 98 vs Sydney 85. - Corporate tax: San Francisco 27% vs Sydney 30%. - Premium flex/seat/month: San Francisco $1,280 vs Sydney $990. # San Francisco vs Sydney: Class A office comparison **San Francisco ($78/sqft, 31.5% vacancy) and Sydney ($89/sqft, 12.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: San Francisco on talent depth and Sydney on rent and tax.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: San Francisco $78/sqft vs Sydney $89/sqft. - Vacancy: San Francisco 31.5% vs Sydney 12.6%. - Talent index: San Francisco 98 vs Sydney 85. - Corporate tax: San Francisco 27% vs Sydney 30%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: San Francisco $1,280 vs Sydney $990. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | San Francisco | Sydney| | Region | Americas | APAC| | Country | United States | Australia| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $78 | $89| | Class A rent (local) | 78 USD | 1480 AUD| | Vacancy | 31.5% | 12.6%| | Trend | rising | flat| | Prime yield | 6.5% | 5.5%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $1,280 | $990| | Submarkets covered | 6 | 6| | Corporate tax | 27% | 30%| ## Lease norms | Metric | San Francisco | Sydney| | Typical term | 7 yrs | 7 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 22 mos | 30 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. | 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 contribution, or both.| | 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. | Federal corporate tax 30%. NSW payroll tax applies. No state corporate income tax.| ## Talent | Metric | San Francisco | Sydney| | Talent index (0–100) | 98 | 85| | Talent note | Deepest AI/ML and senior software engineering talent pool globally. Average all-in compensation indexes 98 vs. New York's 100. | Australia's deepest financial-services, technology, and professional-services talent pool. Average all-in compensation indexes 85.| ## 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. **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 — San Francisco - [**Transbay**](/cities/san-francisco/transbay) — trophy tier · $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 — 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 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 85/100). ### Pick by tax San Francisco has the lower headline corporate tax (27% vs 30%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality San Francisco typical term is 7 years with 22 months free; Sydney runs 7 years with 30 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. 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 San Francisco, 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 San Francisco or Sydney?**** : San Francisco is cheaper on a USD basis: $78/sqft vs $89/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, San Francisco or Sydney?**** : San Francisco indexes higher on talent depth (98 vs 85). ****Which has more sublease availability, San Francisco or Sydney?**** : San Francisco carries higher vacancy (31.5% vs 12.6%) and therefore typically more sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in San Francisco vs Sydney?**** : San Francisco typical term is 7 years with 22 months rent-free; Sydney typical term is 7 years with 30 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. 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/san-francisco-vs-sydney), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.