Copenhagen ($348/sqft, 7.6% vacancy) and Frankfurt ($60/sqft, 8.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: Copenhagen on rent and tax and Frankfurt on talent depth.
Copenhagen ($348/sqft, 7.6% vacancy) and Frankfurt ($60/sqft, 8.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: Copenhagen on rent and tax and Frankfurt on talent depth.
| Metric | Copenhagen | Frankfurt |
|---|---|---|
| Region | EMEA | EMEA |
| Country | Denmark | Germany |
| Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $348 | $60 |
| Class A rent (local) | 2400 DKK | 55 EUR |
| Vacancy | 7.6% | 8.4% |
| Trend | flat | flat |
| Prime yield | 4.4% | 4.4% |
| Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $720 | $1,080 |
| Submarkets covered | 5 | 6 |
| Corporate tax | 22% | 30% |
| Metric | Copenhagen | Frankfurt |
|---|---|---|
| Typical term | 5 yrs | 7 yrs |
| Typical rent-free | 4 mos | 9 mos |
| Lease norms | Net leases. 5-7 year terms with break options. Free rent of 3-6 months and TI of DKK 800-1,500/sqm typical on a 5-year deal. | 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 | 22% Danish corporate income tax. R&D tax credit available. Denmark has a structural participation exemption for cross-border dividends and capital gains. Joint Danish-Swedish payroll tax considerations apply for cross-Øresund staff. | Combined federal + state + Gewerbesteuer (trade tax) effectively 30% in Frankfurt. |
| Metric | Copenhagen | Frankfurt |
|---|---|---|
| Talent index (0–100) | 85 | 88 |
| Talent note | Deep pharma, shipping, design, and clean tech talent. Strong feed from University of Copenhagen, DTU, and Copenhagen Business School. English-fluent professional base supports international corporate HQs. | Deepest banking-and-regulatory talent pool in continental Europe. Average all-in compensation indexes 88. |
Copenhagen: Metro M1-M4 (M3 City Circle Line opened 2019), S-tog suburban rail, and bus. Copenhagen Airport (CPH) is connected via Metro M2 (~14 minutes to Nørreport). Copenhagen is highly bicycle-friendly.
Frankfurt: Hauptbahnhof anchors S-Bahn, U-Bahn, ICE, and regional rail. Frankfurt Airport is 11 minutes by ICE.
Frankfurt is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis.
Frankfurt has the deeper talent index (88/100 vs 85/100).
Copenhagen has the lower headline corporate tax (22% vs 30%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially.
Copenhagen typical term is 5 years with 4 months free; Frankfurt runs 7 years with 9 months free.
Copenhagen: Metro M1-M4 (M3 City Circle Line opened 2019), S-tog suburban rail, and bus. Copenhagen Airport (CPH) is connected via Metro M2 (~14 minutes to Nørreport). Copenhagen is highly bicycle-friendly. Frankfurt: Hauptbahnhof anchors S-Bahn, U-Bahn, ICE, and regional rail. Frankfurt Airport is 11 minutes by ICE.
Score Copenhagen, 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.
Reviewed by Samuel Okafor — EMEA contributing editor. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our methodology and editorial standards.