Office budget for 20 people: the full calculation, line by line
There are 20 of you (or soon will be). Coworking is getting noisy, and the question comes up at the leadership meeting: how much should you budget for office space for 20 people? Here is the full calculation, line by line, with the real cost items, including the ones people forget.
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The short answer: €8,000 to €15,000 a month in Paris (more in the premium Central Business District)
For 20 desks in Paris, as a rough guide, allow for:
- Private office in a coworking space: around €8,000 to €15,000/month, all-inclusive (based on €400 to €1,000 per desk, with a surveyed median of €652).
- Managed office: around €9,000 to €14,000/month, all-inclusive (surveyed median of €600 per desk, with wide variations depending on area and standard).
- Traditional 3-6-9 lease: the headline rent is often lower… but the full cost is comparable once ALL the line items are added in, plus a commitment of at least 3 years.
These medians come from our September 2026 survey of 477 real spaces. The breakdown by arrondissement, the methodology and its limitations are in our price-per-desk tracker.
Outside Paris (Lyon, Bordeaux, Nantes, Lille…), take off 30 to 40%: a floor for 20 people there often costs between €5,000 and €9,000/month on a flexible basis.
The calculation in detail: what each option (really) includes
| Cost item (20 desks, Paris) | Private office in coworking | Managed office | 3-6-9 lease |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent / fee | Included~€8-15k/month all-in | Included~€9-14k/month all-in | ~€6-9k/monthHeadline rent only (150-250 m²) |
| Service charges, taxes, insurance | Included | Included | +15-25% of rentService charges + Île-de-France office tax + insurance |
| Internet, cleaning, maintenance | Included | Included | +€800-1,500/monthContracts to manage yourself |
| Furniture & fit-out | Included | IncludedCustomisation possible | €40-100k upfrontCapEx to depreciate |
| Security deposit | 1-2 months | 1-3 months | 3-6 months+ possible bank guarantee |
| Commitment | From 1 month | 12-36 months | 3 years minimum |
| Meeting rooms | Shared, included | Private, included | To fit out yourself |
The lesson from the table: comparing headline rent with an all-inclusive fee makes no sense. Over time, the 3-6-9 lease remains unbeatable per m² for a stable company that fully occupies its premises; that is its strength. But at 20 desks, with a headcount that keeps changing, the full cost and the commitment often tip the balance towards flexible options.
The 4 questions that change the bill
1. Which neighbourhood?
In Paris, the same 20-desk floor can cost twice as much in the Paris Central Business District (CBD) as an equivalent space near République or in the 18th. Our medians by arrondissement range from €495 (11th) to €690 (8th): across 16 desks, that is a difference of almost €3,100 a month. The detail is in our price tracker by arrondissement. See also our local guides: managed offices in Paris, in Lyon, in Bordeaux.
2. How many days are people actually in the office?
With 2 days of remote working a week, 20 employees don't need 20 desks all the time. A ratio of 0.7 to 0.8 desks per person is common: 14 to 16 desks are often enough, an immediate saving of 20 to 30% on every flexible option.
3. Meeting rooms: included or by the hour?
A team of 20 typically uses 15 to 30 hours of meeting room time a week. Billed by the hour, that can add several hundred euros a month; included (as with managed offices and most coworking spaces), they keep the budget predictable.
4. Where will your headcount be in 18 months?
If there will be 30 of you in a year, signing up for 20 fixed desks is a classic mistake. Flexible options let you adjust your space along the way, a decisive advantage over a lease on a fixed floor area. Our article 3-6-9 lease vs service agreement covers this in detail.
Worked example: 20 desks, a typical Paris scenario
For a 20-person SME with 2 days of remote working a week, looking within the city of Paris but outside the CBD:
- Private coworking option: 16 dedicated desks × €652 (surveyed median) = ≈ €10,400/month, flexible commitment, shared services.
- Managed office option: an equivalent private space at around €9,500 to €10,000/month (roughly €600 per desk relative to headcount: managed offices are let as a whole space, not by the desk), often cheaper than premium coworking in Paris, with maximum image and confidentiality.
- Lease option: comparable headline rent, but add service charges, furniture, IT and a 3-year commitment; worth considering if your headcount is stable and your cash position comfortable.
These ballpark figures are based on the medians we surveyed in September 2026; every case varies with the area, the floor and the services. For a precise costing based on your criteria, request a free estimate.
With the budget set, all that remains is finding the space: method, options and timelines are in our guide to renting offices for 20 people in Paris.
FAQ: office budget for 20 people
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