--- title: How to Budget a Private Suite for 20 to 100 Desks in Metro Manila description: "What a 20 to 100 desk team pays for a private suite in Metro Manila: lease vs managed suite costs, BGC and Ortigas examples, and when each wins." image: https://blog.flyspaces.com/hubfs/flyspaces-landing-images/makati-hero-skyline.jpg --- [![spacesasia-logo](https://blog.flyspaces.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SpacesAsia%20-%20June%202019/spacesasia-logo.png?width=260&name=spacesasia-logo.png "spacesasia-logo")](https://blog.flyspaces.com/) - [Home](https://flyspaces.com/) - Navigate - [Flexible Workspaces](https://blog.flyspaces.com/tag/flexible-workspaces#blog-nav) - [News and Events](https://blog.flyspaces.com/tag/news-and-events#blog-nav) - [Industry Insights](https://blog.flyspaces.com/tag/industry-insights#blog-nav) - [City Guide](https://blog.flyspaces.com/tag/city-guide#blog-nav) - [Case Studies](https://blog.flyspaces.com/tag/case-studies#blog-nav) - Connect - [Contact Us](https://flyspaces.com/contact-us) - [Subscribe](https://flyspaces.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=0b15b0bb7a66ae626f3388eb9&id=f72d186210) - Share : 13 September 2026 [Listerlynn Joy Garingo - De La Serna](https://blog.flyspaces.com/author/joy-garingo-delaserna) # How to Budget a Private Suite for 20 to 100 Desks in Metro Manila If your team is heading to 20 to 100 people in Metro Manila, you have two realistic routes. You can lease a bare or warm-shell floor and build it yourself, or you can take a managed private suite, which is a fitted, operated floor for your team only. The headline prices of the two do not compare directly. This guide sets out the full monthly cost of each, with the inputs shown so your finance team can swap in its own numbers. All peso figures are estimates unless a source is linked. Prices are as of 2 Oct 2026. ### The market in short Metro Manila has high vacancy overall and tight space in a few districts. [KMC Savills expects vacancy to hover around 20%](https://www.bworldonline.com/corporate/2025/11/06/710347/metro-manila-office-vacancy-to-stay-near-20/) over the next three years, with the Bay Area and Alabang CBD holding the most inventory. Leechiu's end-2025 report, [as reported by BusinessWorld](https://www.bworldonline.com/property/2026/01/20/725030/metro-manila-office-rents-seen-to-rise-in-some-districts-analysts-say/), put BGC at 9% vacancy, Makati at 15%, Ortigas and Mandaluyong at 18%, Alabang at 23% and the Bay Area at 28%. The split matters for your budget. In BGC you have less room to negotiate. In the same BusinessWorld report, Colliers expects modest rent growth of 1% to 5% in Makati, BGC and Ortigas, while Savills describes the CBDs as tenant-favorable overall. In higher-vacancy districts, landlords tend to give more on rent-free periods and fit-out contributions. Rents are district by district, so use these as a starting point and ask for current quotes. ### What a conventional lease really costs Base rent is only the first line. [Outsource Accelerator](https://www.outsourceaccelerator.com/articles/how-much-rent-lease-office-space-manila-costs/) puts office rent in Manila's main districts at about ₱500 to ₱1,200 per sqm a month, with utilities, tax and fit-out adding 30% to 100% on top. The extras to budget for: - CUSA. Common Use Service Area charges are [billed separately per square meter](https://business.yixingtravel.com/en/guides/cusa-charges-office-lease-ph/) on top of base rent, and cover cleaning, security, lifts and common area air conditioning. [Typical figures run ₱100 to ₱200 per sqm](https://virspacio.com/how-much-does-office-space-cost-in-the-philippines/). - Escalation. Leases commonly run three to five years with an [escalation clause of around five percent a year](https://virspacio.com/how-much-does-office-space-cost-in-the-philippines/). Some contracts go higher, and [5% to 10% is quoted as the typical range](https://www.tripleiconsulting.com/commercial-lease-for-foreign-companies-what-know-before-signing/), so negotiate a cap. - Deposit and advance rent. [Landlords typically require at least three months of deposit plus three months of rent in advance](https://www.outsourceaccelerator.com/articles/how-much-rent-lease-office-space-manila-costs/). Terms are set by contract, so some landlords ask for less. - VAT. 12% applies to rent and charges unless you qualify for zero-rating (see below). - Fit-out. [Ellcad's 2026 guide](https://ellcad.com.ph/blog/office-fit-out-cost-in-the-philippines-2026-corporate-guide/) lists ₱15,000 to ₱20,000 per sqm for a basic fit-out, ₱20,000 to ₱30,000 for mid-range and ₱30,000 to ₱50,000 or more for high-end. For BGC and Makati, [Alphabuild](https://alphabuild.ph/office-fit-out-costs-in-manila-what-to-budget-in-2026/) gives ₱25,000 to ₱45,000+ per sqm. - Time. [Office Pro](https://www.officepro.ph/post/the-complete-guide-to-office-space-setup-in-the-philippines) says most fit-outs take 3 to 6 months from contract award, while [UODC](https://www.uodc-architects.com/post/how-long-does-an-office-fit-out-take-in-the-philippines-here-is-the-real-timeline-not-the-optimis) puts a 300 to 600 sqm office at 20 to 30 weeks from lease signing to move-in. Plan for roughly 3 to 7 months, and note that construction can happen during your rent-free period. One negotiation point worth knowing: [a rent-free fit-out period of one to three months is standard in Metro Manila](https://grid.com.ph/blog/negotiate-commercial-lease.html) and is not really a concession, since you cannot occupy while building. Ask separately for rent-free time after you start trading, and for a fit-out contribution. ### What a managed suite costs A managed suite is priced per desk each month, with rent, CUSA, utilities, internet and fit-out folded in. [FlySpaces' Manila page](https://flyspaces.com/manila/serviced-office) puts serviced offices at around ₱9,000 to ₱20,000 per desk per month, depending on the operator, services and location. Deposits are lower than on a lease. [One operator blog](https://mspacesph.com/blog/real-cost-flexible-office-rentals-manila/) describes a deposit of one to two months, but terms vary by operator, so check each quote. Managed suites are not always cheaper. As that same operator blog notes, a flexible office usually has a higher monthly price than a traditional lease. What you buy is lower upfront cash, speed and room to change your headcount. ### Worked example: 20, 50 and 100 desks We used 6.5 sqm of leasable space per desk. That sits inside the 1:5 to 1:7.5 sqm per desk range [Outsource Accelerator reports](https://www.outsourceaccelerator.com/articles/how-much-rent-lease-office-space-manila-costs/) for Metro Manila. It also means 20, 50 and 100 desks need about 130, 325 and 650 sqm. PEZA buildings can run less dense, so check your building. These are our planning assumptions, not quotes: | Input | BGC | Ortigas | | --- | --- | --- | | Base rent (₱/sqm/month) | 1,000 | 725 | | CUSA (₱/sqm/month) | 215 | 150 | | Power and A/C (₱/sqm/month) | 300 | 175 | | VAT | 12% | 12% | | Fit-out (₱/sqm), spread over 60 months | 30,000 | 25,000 | | Managed suite rate (₱/desk/month) | 16,000 | 12,500 | For reference, [Leechiu's end-2025 average rent](https://www.bworldonline.com/property/2026/01/20/725030/metro-manila-office-rents-seen-to-rise-in-some-districts-analysts-say/) was ₱1,167 per sqm in BGC and ₱891 in Makati. Power and A/C are our estimates, so replace them with the building's actual rates. Monthly cost, formula: (rent + CUSA + power) × 1.12 × sqm, plus (fit-out × sqm) ÷ 60. | Desks | Location | Lease: monthly operating cost | Lease: fit-out spread over 60 months | Lease: total per month | Lease: per desk | Managed suite: per month | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 20 | BGC | ₱220,584 | ₱65,000 | ₱285,584 | ₱14,279 | ₱320,000 | | 20 | Ortigas | ₱152,880 | ₱54,167 | ₱207,047 | ₱10,352 | ₱250,000 | | 50 | BGC | ₱551,460 | ₱162,500 | ₱713,960 | ₱14,279 | ₱800,000 | | 50 | Ortigas | ₱382,200 | ₱135,417 | ₱517,617 | ₱10,352 | ₱625,000 | | 100 | BGC | ₱1,102,920 | ₱325,000 | ₱1,427,920 | ₱14,279 | ₱1,600,000 | | 100 | Ortigas | ₱764,400 | ₱270,833 | ₱1,035,233 | ₱10,352 | ₱1,250,000 | Read plainly: if you fill every desk for five years, the lease comes out about 12% cheaper per desk in BGC and about 21% cheaper in Ortigas. The lease figures leave out IT and connectivity, furniture beyond the fit-out, annual escalation and the cost of restoring the space when you leave. The managed rate includes the operator's IT. Base rent is about 59% of the BGC monthly operating cost and about 62% of Ortigas, so comparing a headline rent to a seat rate understates the lease. ### Where the managed suite wins Cash upfront. For 50 desks in BGC (325 sqm), the lease needs fit-out of about ₱9.75 million (325 × ₱30,000). Add six months of rent as deposit and advance. That is ₱11.7 million if charged on base rent only, or about ₱13.1 million if charged on the full monthly bill including VAT. A managed suite at two months' deposit is about ₱1.6 million (2 × ₱800,000). Your lease terms decide which lease figure applies. Shorter terms. The lease only wins if you stay long enough to spread the fit-out. Dividing fit-out cost by the monthly premium of the managed suite gives a break-even point. In BGC that is about 39 months (₱3.9 million ÷ ₱99,416 for 20 desks). In Ortigas it is about 34 months. If you expect to move, shrink or grow within roughly three years, the managed suite is likely cheaper in total, even before counting your own IT and restoration costs. The break-even stays the same at 20, 50 or 100 desks because every figure scales with headcount. Empty desks. A lease charges you for every sqm whether or not someone sits there. [Outsource Accelerator calls occupancy the single biggest driver of cost per desk](https://www.outsourceaccelerator.com/articles/how-much-rent-lease-office-space-manila-costs/) over the life of a lease. If your team might not reach 100 desks for 18 months, model the lease at your actual occupancy. ### VAT and PEZA Many export-oriented firms (outsourcing and IT-BPM) can reduce VAT by locating in a PEZA-accredited building. The rule has conditions, so read it carefully. [Sales of services by a VAT-registered supplier to a PEZA-registered enterprise can be zero-rated](https://www.grantthornton.com.ph/insights/articles-and-updates1/lets-talk-tax/vat-on-sale-of-services-to-peza-rbes/) under Section 108(B)(3) of the Tax Code, which was not deleted by the TRAIN Law. [Zero-rating usually requires that the item is directly and exclusively used in the registered activity](https://www.respicio.ph/commentaries/vat-exemption-rules-for-peza-registered-companies-philippines). The Supreme Court has also said [PEZA-registered companies are not completely exempt from VAT](https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1255768), and that treatment depends on where goods are consumed or services are rendered. In practice, the tenant must be PEZA-registered, the space must sit in a PEZA ecozone, and the landlord or operator must be VAT-registered. Ask for the PEZA zero-rating documents before you sign. Outside a PEZA building, you pay 12% VAT. A PEZA-registered export firm [may be able to claim a refund of input VAT on services consumed outside the ecozone](https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=c0d93fff-6c73-4988-aec2-ae2e5a89cc91), if attributable to zero-rated export sales, but refunds take time. Budget the VAT as a cost until your tax adviser confirms otherwise. This is general information, not tax advice. Supply of PEZA space is changing. In July 2026, [Administrative Order 45 lifted the seven-year moratorium](https://bworldonline.com/top-stories/2026/07/29/766479/marcos-exempts-new-it-parks-from-ecozone-moratorium-in-ncr/) on new PEZA IT parks and centers in Metro Manila. [Colliers notes](https://www.colliers.com/en-ph/news/ao-no-45-reopens-metro-manila-to-new-peza-it-parks-and-centers) that Metro Manila has about 7.9 million sqm of PEZA-accredited office stock, with 1.46 million sqm available for lease as of H1 2026. [Five Metro Manila IT parks have applied for PEZA status](https://bworldonline.com/top-stories/2026/07/30/766780/five-metro-manila-it-parks-apply-for-peza-ecozone-status/), so ask your broker what is in the pipeline before locking a long lease. ### How to decide 1. Compare total monthly cost per occupied desk. Include CUSA, power, VAT, fit-out spread over your real term, IT and restoration. 2. Set a break-even term. If your realistic stay is under about three years, favor the managed suite. Over five years at full occupancy, favor the lease. 3. Count your upfront cash. Put the deposit, advance and fit-out figures next to your cash plan. 4. Check your tax position. If you are PEZA-eligible, price PEZA buildings and PEZA-registered operators separately. 5. Match the district to your leverage. In higher-vacancy areas, ask for a fit-out contribution and an escalation cap of 5% or less. In BGC, expect less room. 6. Ask for the handover date in writing. A ready suite skips design, permits and construction, so timing depends on operator availability and any custom branding you add. FlySpaces can compare lease and managed options for your headcount and arrange viewings. Send us your desk count, district and expected term, and we will return a shortlist with total monthly cost for each option. Quotes change, so we will confirm every figure with the landlord or operator. Tags: [Private Office](https://blog.flyspaces.com/tag/private-office), [Philippines](https://blog.flyspaces.com/tag/philippines), [office for rent](https://blog.flyspaces.com/tag/office-for-rent) ![](https://blog.flyspaces.com/hubfs/SpacesAsia%20-%20June%202019/author-img.png) ##### [Listerlynn Joy Garingo - De La Serna](https://blog.flyspaces.com/author/joy-garingo-delaserna) Joy Garingo - De La Serna is a Filipino business executive specializing in the real estate, flexible workspace, and Employer of Record (EOR) sectors within the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. She is involved in creative ventures and community-centric workspace environments that support local startups, founders, and generational shifts in hybrid work styles. 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