--- title: "Seoul vs Sydney: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Seoul and Sydney — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/seoul-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)." --- > Seoul ($34/sqft, 5.2% vacancy) and Sydney ($89/sqft, 12.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Seoul on rent and tax and Sydney on talent depth. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Seoul $34/sqft vs Sydney $89/sqft. - Vacancy: Seoul 5.2% vs Sydney 12.6%. - Talent index: Seoul 82 vs Sydney 85. - Corporate tax: Seoul 24.2% vs Sydney 30%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Seoul $880 vs Sydney $990. # Seoul vs Sydney: Class A office comparison **Seoul ($34/sqft, 5.2% vacancy) and Sydney ($89/sqft, 12.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Seoul on rent and tax and Sydney on talent depth.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Seoul $34/sqft vs Sydney $89/sqft. - Vacancy: Seoul 5.2% vs Sydney 12.6%. - Talent index: Seoul 82 vs Sydney 85. - Corporate tax: Seoul 24.2% vs Sydney 30%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Seoul $880 vs Sydney $990. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Seoul | Sydney| | Region | APAC | APAC| | Country | South Korea | Australia| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $34 | $89| | Class A rent (local) | 142000 KRW | 1480 AUD| | Vacancy | 5.2% | 12.6%| | Trend | rising | flat| | Prime yield | 4% | 5.5%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $880 | $990| | Submarkets covered | 6 | 6| | Corporate tax | 24.2% | 30%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Seoul | Sydney| | Typical term | 5 yrs | 7 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 6 mos | 30 mos| | Lease norms | Standard 5-year lease (often 3+2). Rent + management fees billed separately. Large jeonse (lease deposit) common — 10-20x monthly rent. Reinstatement contractual. | 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 corporate tax 24.2% (after surtax). Local taxes apply. | Federal corporate tax 30%. NSW payroll tax applies. No state corporate income tax.| ## Talent | Metric | Seoul | Sydney| | Talent index (0–100) | 82 | 85| | Talent note | Deepest tech (Samsung, LG, Naver, Kakao) and finance talent pool in Korea. Average all-in compensation indexes 82. | Australia's deepest financial-services, technology, and professional-services talent pool. Average all-in compensation indexes 85.| ## Transit & commute **Seoul:** Seoul Metro covers every Class A address. KTX high-speed rail to Busan and other regional centres. Incheon Airport is 53 minutes by AREX express. **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 — Seoul - [**Gangnam (GBD)**](/cities/seoul/gangnam) — trophy tier · ₩145,000/pyeong/mo · ≈ $35.2 PSF/yr USD - [**Yeouido (YBD)**](/cities/seoul/yeouido) — trophy tier · ₩138,000/pyeong/mo · ≈ $33.5 PSF/yr USD - [**Jongno / Gwanghwamun (CBD)**](/cities/seoul/jongno-gwanghwamun) — trophy tier · ₩130,000/pyeong/mo · ≈ $31.6 PSF/yr USD ## 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 Seoul is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth Sydney has the deeper talent index (85/100 vs 82/100). ### Pick by tax Seoul has the lower headline corporate tax (24.2% vs 30%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality Seoul typical term is 5 years with 6 months free; Sydney runs 7 years with 30 months free. ### Pick by transit Seoul: Seoul Metro covers every Class A address. KTX high-speed rail to Busan and other regional centres. Incheon Airport is 53 minutes by AREX express. 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 Seoul, 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 Seoul or Sydney?**** : Seoul is cheaper on a USD basis: $34/sqft vs $89/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Seoul or Sydney?**** : Sydney indexes higher on talent depth (85 vs 82). ****Which has more sublease availability, Seoul or Sydney?**** : Sydney carries higher vacancy (12.6% vs 5.2%) and therefore typically more sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Seoul vs Sydney?**** : Seoul typical term is 5 years with 6 months rent-free; Sydney typical term is 7 years with 30 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : Seoul: Seoul Metro covers every Class A address. KTX high-speed rail to Busan and other regional centres. Incheon Airport is 53 minutes by AREX express. 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 [**Kenji Watanabe**](/about/authors/kenji-watanabe) — APAC 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/seoul-vs-sydney), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.