Asia Pacific Fit-Out Cost Guide 2025

JLL's 2025 APAC Fit-Out Cost Guide reflects the region's unique markets, from tech hubs, manufacturing powerhouses and service-oriented economies. Sustainability and smart technology are shaping office designs across 14 countries and 24 cities covered in the guide.

This guide provides in-depth analysis of trends, cost breakdowns, cost drivers, market-specific insights, and forward-looking perspectives. It aims to equip industry professionals with the knowledge and foresight needed to navigate the complex yet dynamic world of APAC fit-outs.

The APAC region stands at a crossroads in 2025, with global trade tensions and an evolving policy landscape shaping an uncertain economic outlook. As this report presents costs based on Q1 2025 data, it is important to recognise that current pricing may deviate from these figures due to the rapidly changing trade environment and its ripple effects across the region.

The average office fit-out cost vary across the region and as is subject to local market nuances, labour costs and regulations. Japan, Singapore, and Australia have the highest costs, while India appears cheapest when benchmarked against USD due to exchange rates, though local currency prices have increased year-over-year. The average office fit-out cost for a moderate style medium- quality office in APAC is $1,524/sqm while the global average is $1,949/sqm (as of Q1 2025). The cost does not reflect recent market changes and the outlook on tariff impact.

Understanding costs in key cities in the region can be critical to the portfolio CAPEX planning, and the implementation of corporate design requirements across the region.

To understand the relative difference in costs between cities, comparable costs of office fit-outs in each city are assessed against a baseline to Hong Kong.

In the APAC region, Tokyo stands out as the most expensive city for fit-outs, with costs comparable to global financial centres like New York and London. Singapore follows closely, reflecting its status as a key business hub in Southeast Asia. At the lower end of the index are cities in India (Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru), China (Tianjin) and Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City). While costs in these locations are relatively lower, many are experiencing rapid construction growth and evolving cost landscapes, particularly in India's major tech hubs.

The cost of fit-out and cost drivers vary across the region significantly. It is critical to consider local market base construction provisions, raw material availability and prices, and import duties while budgeting.

Builders’ works dominate fit-out costs across the APAC region at 41%, representing the largest portion of overall spending. Builders’ works and M&E (Mechanical & Electrical) services costs are most impacted by landlord base building and client’s design or engineering requirements. M&E works - including HVAC, electrical, fire and UPS - contribute to 21% of overall cost, which varies across countries depending on the local warm shell specifications, making it the second largest component of spend. Security, IT and AV spend is increasing year-over-year and accounts for 16% of total spend, reflecting the adoption of technology and SMART features across the region.

Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment (FFE) accounts for 15% of overall cost. It is important to note the FFE considered for benchmarking was imported furniture and price may vary based on specifications and country due to import duties and taxes.

Many organisations are seeking to invest in high-quality offices to boost office attendance and enhance talent attraction. Specifications of materials and finishes can have a significant impact on the quality of workplaces and can also be responsible for a large variation in costs.

Reinstatement practices vary significantly across APAC, emphasising the need for market-specific strategies in managing reinstatement expenses. Tokyo has the highest reinstatement costs in the region. As material, furniture and finish costs rise, forward-thinking organisations are exploring alternative reinstatement models to achieve both cost and carbon savings. The future of reinstatement lies in fostering collaborative partnerships between landlords and tenants.

The demand for sustainable spaces has evolved from mere organisational commitments to a critical factor in talent attraction and retention. 78% of APAC markets reported an increase in sustainable fit-out enquiries in the last 12-24 months. More than 62% corporates surveyed in the JLL Future of Work Survey foresee increased spend on sustainability performance.

With the increase in awareness and demand, sustainable fit-outs are becoming more desirable. Engaging with sustainability experts as part of a fit-out project, alongside cost experts, can ensure that sustainable requirements are embedded into early decisions and reduce risks of later cost implications for late additions or changes to meet sustainability needs.

The APAC Fit-Out Cost Guide is a supplementary report to our Global Fit-Out Cost Guide. The APAC report provides insights into costs associated with fitting out office space across 14 countries and 24 cities. Our methodology uses a standardised office layout and JLL design standards, which is costed by local experts in each market, to assess comparable costs across APAC using a like-for-like project comparison. The project uses a typical open office layout designed to accommodate hybrid working, with a range of individual and collaborative work settings. The specifications priced draw on JLL’s best-in-class offices, with imported furniture and assume cost for a central business district location. The figures within this report are reflective of analysis conducted in Q1 2025.

The report captures market specific costs for a modern corporate standard fit-out, in accordance with the respective suppliers in their markets. The figures within this report are reflective of analysis conducted in Q1 2025.

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