Is Class A office cheaper in Amsterdam or Frankfurt?

Amsterdam is cheaper on a USD basis: $55/sqft vs $60/sqft.

Which has better talent depth, Amsterdam or Frankfurt?

Frankfurt indexes higher on talent depth (88 vs 86).

Which has more sublease availability, Amsterdam or Frankfurt?

Frankfurt carries higher vacancy (8.4% vs 7.2%) and therefore typically more sublease overhang.

What lease term should I expect in Amsterdam vs Frankfurt?

Amsterdam typical term is 7 years with 12 months rent-free; Frankfurt typical term is 7 years with 9 months rent-free.

Amsterdam ($55/sqft, 7.2% vacancy) and Frankfurt ($60/sqft, 8.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: Amsterdam on rent and tax and Frankfurt on talent depth.

Class A rent: Amsterdam $55/sqft vs Frankfurt $60/sqft.
Vacancy: Amsterdam 7.2% vs Frankfurt 8.4%.
Talent index: Amsterdam 86 vs Frankfurt 88.
Corporate tax: Amsterdam 25.8% vs Frankfurt 30%.
Premium flex/seat/month: Amsterdam $940 vs Frankfurt $1,080.

Amsterdam vs Frankfurt: Class A office comparison

Amsterdam ($55/sqft, 7.2% vacancy) and Frankfurt ($60/sqft, 8.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: Amsterdam on rent and tax and Frankfurt on talent depth.

TL;DR

Class A rent: Amsterdam $55/sqft vs Frankfurt $60/sqft.
Vacancy: Amsterdam 7.2% vs Frankfurt 8.4%.
Talent index: Amsterdam 86 vs Frankfurt 88.
Corporate tax: Amsterdam 25.8% vs Frankfurt 30%.
Premium flex/seat/month: Amsterdam $940 vs Frankfurt $1,080.

Market data side-by-side

Metric	Amsterdam	Frankfurt
Region	EMEA	EMEA
Country	Netherlands	Germany
Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr)	$55	$60
Class A rent (local)	50 EUR	55 EUR
Vacancy	7.2%	8.4%
Trend	rising	flat
Prime yield	4.5%	4.4%
Premium flex / seat / month (USD)	$940	$1,080
Submarkets covered	4	6
Corporate tax	25.8%	30%

Lease norms

Metric	Amsterdam	Frankfurt
Typical term	7 yrs	7 yrs
Typical rent-free	12 mos	9 mos
Lease norms	Dutch leases run 5-10 years with break rights. Rent indexed to CPI annually. Servicekosten (operating expenses) billed separately. Bank guarantees of 3-6 months standard.	German leases run 5-10 years with break rights. Rent reviews are indexed to the CPI (Verbraucherpreisindex). Tenant pays Nebenkosten (operating costs) on top of base rent. Cautio (security deposit) of 3-6 months is typical.
Tax note	Headline corporate tax 25.8% (19% on first €200k). Innovation Box and participation exemption regimes are meaningful.	Combined federal + state + Gewerbesteuer (trade tax) effectively 30% in Frankfurt.

Talent

Metric	Amsterdam	Frankfurt
Talent index (0–100)	86	88
Talent note	Strong English-fluent professional talent pool. Average all-in compensation indexes 86.	Deepest banking-and-regulatory talent pool in continental Europe. Average all-in compensation indexes 88.

Transit & commute

Amsterdam: Schiphol Airport is 7 minutes by direct train from Zuidas. Strong S-Bahn equivalent (Sprinter / Intercity) coverage.

Frankfurt: Hauptbahnhof anchors S-Bahn, U-Bahn, ICE, and regional rail. Frankfurt Airport is 11 minutes by ICE.

Top submarkets — Amsterdam

Zuidas — trophy tier · €55/sqft/yr · ≈ $59.4 PSF/yr USD
Centrum & Canal Belt — prime tier · €60/sqft/yr · ≈ $64.8 PSF/yr USD
Houthavens & NDSM — prime tier · €42/sqft/yr · ≈ $45.4 PSF/yr USD

Top submarkets — Frankfurt

Bankenviertel — trophy tier · €60/sqft/yr · ≈ $64.8 PSF/yr USD
Bahnhofsviertel — trophy tier · €50/sqft/yr · ≈ $54 PSF/yr USD
Westend — prime tier · €50/sqft/yr · ≈ $54 PSF/yr USD

Decision criteria

Pick by cost

Amsterdam is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis.

Pick by talent depth

Frankfurt has the deeper talent index (88/100 vs 86/100).

Pick by tax

Amsterdam has the lower headline corporate tax (25.8% vs 30%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially.

Pick by lease optionality

Amsterdam typical term is 7 years with 12 months free; Frankfurt runs 7 years with 9 months free.

Pick by transit

Amsterdam: Schiphol Airport is 7 minutes by direct train from Zuidas. Strong S-Bahn equivalent (Sprinter / Intercity) coverage. Frankfurt: Hauptbahnhof anchors S-Bahn, U-Bahn, ICE, and regional rail. Frankfurt Airport is 11 minutes by ICE.

Run a 4-city comparison

Score Amsterdam, Frankfurt 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 →

Frequently asked questions

Is Class A office cheaper in Amsterdam or Frankfurt?: Amsterdam is cheaper on a USD basis: $55/sqft vs $60/sqft.
Which has better talent depth, Amsterdam or Frankfurt?: Frankfurt indexes higher on talent depth (88 vs 86).
Which has more sublease availability, Amsterdam or Frankfurt?: Frankfurt carries higher vacancy (8.4% vs 7.2%) and therefore typically more sublease">sublease overhang.
What lease term should I expect in Amsterdam vs Frankfurt?: Amsterdam typical term is 7 years with 12 months rent-free; Frankfurt typical term is 7 years with 9 months rent-free.
How does transit and commuter access compare?: Amsterdam: Schiphol Airport is 7 minutes by direct train from Zuidas. Strong S-Bahn equivalent (Sprinter / Intercity) coverage. Frankfurt: Hauptbahnhof anchors S-Bahn, U-Bahn, ICE, and regional rail. Frankfurt Airport is 11 minutes by ICE.

Editorial provenance

Reviewed by Samuel Okafor — EMEA contributing editor. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our methodology and editorial standards.

Primary sources for this page

CBRE Marketview reports — CBRE
JLL Office Insight — JLL
Cushman & Wakefield Marketbeat — Cushman & Wakefield
Savills World Research — Savills
Colliers Global Office Outlook — Colliers

Full sources index · Submit a correction