Office Space: Cost per sq ft + m² per Person Benchmarks
Updated 26 May 2026 · JLL + Cushman & Wakefield Q1 2026 + BCO 2023
How much office space do you need and what will it cost?
Pick headcount, density profile and city. We'll compute the m² + sq ft you need, then run it against current Q1 2026 grade-A office rents from JLL + Cushman & Wakefield.
Measurement: Net internal area (NIA), RICS.
Sources ↓
- Office rent figures (USD/sq ft/year, all-in grade-A): JLL Global Real Estate Perspective Q1 2026, Cushman & Wakefield Marketbeat, Knight Frank Skyscraper Index, Savills World Office Yield Spectrum 2026.
- Density benchmarks (m² per person): British Council for Offices 2023 specification guide, CIBSE Guide A, plus Leesman post-pandemic utilisation data 2024-25.
- Measurement standards: per-city RICS / IPMS / PCA / BOMA codes cited inline. RICS Code of Measuring Practice (6th ed.) is the UK reference.
A 20-person office needs roughly 160-240 m² (1,720-2,580 ft²)
Depending on density model and amenities included. Use the calculator below.
Office Space Calculator
Most modern offices. Assigned desks, shared meeting rooms.
220 m²
11 m2 per person
2,368 ft²
118 ft2 per person
Office Space Benchmarks by Density Model
| Density Model | m² per person | ft² per person |
|---|---|---|
| Dense open-plan (hot-desking) | 8-10 | 86-108 |
| Standard open-plan (assigned) | 10-12 | 108-129 |
| Mixed (open + private offices) | 13-16 | 140-172 |
| Premium (large desks + breakout) | 18-22 | 194-237 |
| Legal / finance traditional | 20-30 | 215-323 |
What does the per-person figure include?
The benchmarks above are gross usable area per headcount. This typically includes: desk space (typically 6 m2 for a single desk), circulation space around desks (minimum 1.2 m clear passage per BCO guidance), a proportional share of meeting rooms (1 meeting room per 8-12 people), shared amenities (kitchen, reception, toilets). It does not include structural walls, mechanical rooms, or loading bays.
The BCO (British Council for Offices) 2023 Guide recommends 8-13 m2 per workstation for contemporary open-plan offices, acknowledging that post-pandemic hybrid working has reduced peak occupancy. Many tenants now plan for 60-70% desk utilisation, which effectively increases the per-desk space available.
Retail Space Benchmarks
| Retail Type | Typical m² | Typical ft² |
|---|---|---|
| Kiosk / market stall | 3-8 | 32-86 |
| Small boutique / nail salon | 20-50 | 215-538 |
| Cafe (small) | 40-80 | 430-861 |
| Restaurant (full-service) | 80-200 | 861-2,153 |
| Small supermarket / convenience | 150-300 | 1,615-3,229 |
| Large supermarket | 1,500-5,000 | 16,146-53,820 |
| Department store | 5,000-50,000 | 53,820-538,196 |
Warehouse Space Benchmarks
| Warehouse Type | Typical m² | Typical ft² |
|---|---|---|
| Small self-storage unit | 5-25 | 54-269 |
| Trade counter / workshop | 100-500 | 1,076-5,382 |
| Regional distribution | 5,000-20,000 | 53,820-215,278 |
| National logistics hub | 50,000-200,000 | 538,196-2,152,782 |
International Commercial Units
Square feet remains the dominant unit in US commercial real estate. Office leases in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles are almost universally quoted in sq ft, with a price in USD per sq ft per year. In Europe, square metres is standard, with rents quoted in euros or pounds per m2 per year (or per annum). Many global lease summaries show both. When comparing across markets, always confirm which unit applies and whether the figure is Net Internal Area (NIA), Gross Internal Area (GIA), or Gross External Area (GEA), as these can differ by 10-30%.
Convert a Commercial Size
200 m² is approximately a large four-bedroom detached house.