--- title: "Taipei vs Tokyo: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Taipei and Tokyo — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/taipei-vs-tokyo pageType: comparison lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)." --- > Taipei ($47/sqft, 4.2% vacancy) and Tokyo ($113/sqft, 4.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Taipei on talent depth and Tokyo on rent and tax. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Taipei $47/sqft vs Tokyo $113/sqft. - Vacancy: Taipei 4.2% vs Tokyo 4.6%. - Talent index: Taipei 86 vs Tokyo 84. - Corporate tax: Taipei 20% vs Tokyo 30.6%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Taipei $580 vs Tokyo $980. # Taipei vs Tokyo: Class A office comparison **Taipei ($47/sqft, 4.2% vacancy) and Tokyo ($113/sqft, 4.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Taipei on talent depth and Tokyo on rent and tax.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Taipei $47/sqft vs Tokyo $113/sqft. - Vacancy: Taipei 4.2% vs Tokyo 4.6%. - Talent index: Taipei 86 vs Tokyo 84. - Corporate tax: Taipei 20% vs Tokyo 30.6%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Taipei $580 vs Tokyo $980. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Taipei | Tokyo| | Region | APAC | APAC| | Country | Taiwan | Japan| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $47 | $113| | Class A rent (local) | 4500 TWD | 50000 JPY| | Vacancy | 4.2% | 4.6%| | Trend | rising | rising| | Prime yield | 3.4% | 3%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $580 | $980| | Submarkets covered | 5 | 6| | Corporate tax | 20% | 30.6%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Taipei | Tokyo| | Typical term | 5 yrs | 5 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 3 mos | 4 mos| | Lease norms | Net leases. 3-5 year terms standard with renewal options. Free rent of 2-4 months and TI of TWD 800-1,500/ping typical on a 5-year deal. | Tokyo leases are typically 5-7 years with a 2-year tenant notice. Standard leases are 'fixed-term' (teiki shakuya) or 'ordinary' (futsu shakuya) — fixed-term is increasingly common for Grade A. Rent is base + common-area maintenance billed separately. Restoration to original (genjo kaifuku) is contractual and significant. Personal seal (jitsuin) requirements apply.| | Tax note | 20% Taiwan corporate income tax. Profit-seeking enterprise income tax structure with R&D credits and tax incentives for qualifying high-tech investment. | Effective corporate tax rate 30.6% (national + local). Tokyo Metropolitan corporate inhabitant tax adds a meaningful local component.| ## Talent | Metric | Taipei | Tokyo| | Talent index (0–100) | 86 | 84| | Talent note | Deepest semiconductor and electronics talent in Asia. Strong feed from National Taiwan University, NTHU, and the broader Taiwan university system. Mandarin and Taiwanese operating environment with strong English in tech. | The largest single-language white-collar talent pool in the world. Average all-in compensation for senior knowledge workers indexes 84 vs. New York's 100, though English-fluent bilingual talent commands a premium.| ## Transit & commute **Taipei:** Taipei Metro (Brown, Red, Green, Orange, Blue Lines + circular). Taoyuan Airport MRT to TPE airport. Taipei is highly walkable and Metro-served. **Tokyo:** JR Yamanote loop plus 13 metro lines connect every Class A address. Shinkansen termini at Tokyo, Shinagawa, and Ueno support inter-city corporate networks. ## Top submarkets — Taipei - [**Xinyi Planning District**](/cities/taipei/xinyi-planning-district) — [trophy tier](/topics/trophy-asset-selection) · NT$5,000/ping/mo · ≈ $52.3 PSF/yr USD - [**Zhongshan / North Taipei**](/cities/taipei/zhongshan-cbd) — prime tier · NT$4,400/ping/mo · ≈ $46 PSF/yr USD - [**Songshan**](/cities/taipei/songshan) — prime tier · NT$4,200/ping/mo · ≈ $43.9 PSF/yr USD ## Top submarkets — Tokyo - [**Azabudai & Roppongi**](/cities/tokyo/azabudai-roppongi) — trophy tier · ¥60,000/[tsubo](/topics/apac-lease-conventions)">tsubo/mo · ≈ $136 PSF/yr USD - [**Marunouchi & Otemachi**](/cities/tokyo/marunouchi-otemachi) — trophy tier · ¥55,000/tsubo/mo · ≈ $124 PSF/yr USD - [**Toranomon**](/cities/tokyo/toranomon) — trophy tier · ¥50,000/tsubo/mo · ≈ $113 PSF/yr USD ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Taipei is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth Taipei has the deeper talent index (86/100 vs 84/100). ### Pick by tax Taipei has the lower headline corporate tax (20% vs 30.6%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality Taipei typical term is 5 years with 3 months free; Tokyo runs 5 years with 4 months free. ### Pick by transit Taipei: Taipei Metro (Brown, Red, Green, Orange, Blue Lines + circular). Taoyuan Airport MRT to TPE airport. Taipei is highly walkable and Metro-served. Tokyo: JR Yamanote loop plus 13 metro lines connect every Class A address. Shinkansen termini at Tokyo, Shinagawa, and Ueno support inter-city corporate networks. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Taipei, Tokyo 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 Taipei or Tokyo?**** : Taipei is cheaper on a USD basis: $47/sqft vs $113/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Taipei or Tokyo?**** : Taipei indexes higher on talent depth (86 vs 84). ****Which has more sublease availability, Taipei or Tokyo?**** : Tokyo carries higher vacancy (4.6% vs 4.2%) and therefore typically more sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Taipei vs Tokyo?**** : Taipei typical term is 5 years with 3 months rent-free; Tokyo typical term is 5 years with 4 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : Taipei: Taipei Metro (Brown, Red, Green, Orange, Blue Lines + circular). Taoyuan Airport MRT to TPE airport. Taipei is highly walkable and Metro-served. Tokyo: JR Yamanote loop plus 13 metro lines connect every Class A address. Shinkansen termini at Tokyo, Shinagawa, and Ueno support inter-city corporate networks. ## 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/taipei-vs-tokyo), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.