Office Cleaning Cost Per Square Meter: What You Need to Know

Understanding office cleaning costs per square meter

When budgeting for professional commercial cleaning services, understanding office cleaning costs per square meter is essential.
Clean, sanitary workspaces impact productivity, employee well-being, and your brand image by reducing the spread of germs and supporting a healthier environment.
But how much should you expect to pay for professional office cleaning?​

Office cleaning is usually priced either by the square meter or by the hour, and understanding both models helps you compare quotes fairly.
Per-square-meter pricing gives a transparent way to estimate the total cost for your specific footprint, while hourly pricing helps you understand how labor time and scope translate into your final invoice.
By combining both views—space-based and time-based—you can build a realistic cleaning budget that aligns with your standards, staff traffic, and business goals.

Factors that influence office cleaning prices

Not all offices are the same, and neither are their cleaning needs.
Here are the main variables that affect cleaning rates and why they matter when you plan your budget.

1. Office size and layout

The larger your office space, the more time and resources are needed.
Open-plan layouts are typically easier to clean than spaces with many separate rooms or cubicles because there are fewer tight corners, doors, and partitions to work around. In practice, this means a 500-square-meter open office may cost less per visit than a 500-square-meter space broken into many small offices, even though the total area is the same. Efficient layouts also allow cleaning teams to move faster with equipment such as vacuums and floor machines, which can help keep your per-square-meter cost toward the lower end of the range.

2. Location of the office

Offices in larger cities or high-demand business areas often have higher rates due to increased labor and operational costs. Wages for cleaning staff, building operating costs, and even parking or access constraints can all drive pricing up in urban centers compared with smaller towns.

Local market competition also plays a role; in some regions, strong demand and limited supply of reliable cleaners can push rates higher even for basic services. When comparing quotes, it is helpful to keep regional labor norms in mind so you understand whether a price reflects fair pay and professional service or unusually low-cost labor.

3. Frequency of cleaning services

A daily cleaning schedule will cost more than a weekly visit, but frequent cleaning can reduce the intensity of each clean, sometimes balancing out the cost. High-traffic offices, shared workstations, and busy restrooms benefit from more frequent service because dirt and germs build up quickly. For some businesses, a hybrid approach works best—such as light daily cleaning paired with a deeper weekly or monthly service—to keep appearance, hygiene, and costs in balance. By adjusting frequency seasonally or as staff numbers change, you can fine-tune your cleaning budget without sacrificing workplace standards.

4. Type of cleaning services required

• Basic janitorial cleaning includes dusting, vacuuming, and trash removal, which form the foundation of most office cleaning packages.

• If your office requires carpet cleaning, window washing, or floor polishing, these will increase the price because they demand more time, equipment, and specialized products.

• Periodic tasks like stripping and waxing hard floors, high-level dusting, or deep bathroom descaling are usually priced separately from routine maintenance.

• Mapping out which services you need daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly helps avoid surprises and ensures quotes reflect your true requirements.

5. Business type and usage

Offices with high foot traffic, shared kitchen spaces, or client-facing environments may require more frequent or intensive cleaning. Professional services firms, medical administration offices, call centers, and coworking spaces can have very different risk profiles and expectations, even at the same size.

If your brand relies on client visits and first impressions, you may prioritize spotless lobbies, conference rooms, and restrooms more heavily than low-traffic back-office areas. Understanding how staff and visitors actually use your space helps your cleaning provider design a scope that targets the most critical zones.

6. Special requests and standards

• Using eco-friendly products, scheduling after-hours cleaning, or including high-touch disinfection can add to the overall cost.

• Green cleaning options might involve certified low-toxicity chemicals and specific processes that support indoor air quality and sustainability goals.

• High-touch disinfection of surfaces like door handles, elevator buttons, and shared equipment requires extra time and product, but it can significantly support health and safety in busy offices.

• After-hours or overnight service also carries a premium in many markets because it requires staffing outside standard daytime shifts.

Office cleaning cost breakdown (2025)

Let’s look at what you can typically expect to pay based on square meter pricing and hourly rates, using the most common structures used across the industry.

Per square meter pricing

Cleaning costs for offices generally fall between 1.201.20 and 2.502.50 per square meter, depending on the factors listed above.
At the lower end, you will usually find straightforward spaces with basic cleaning needs and modest traffic, while the upper end reflects complex layouts, higher standards, or added services.

Example:
If your office is 500 square meters and the rate is $1.801.80/sqm, your total cleaning cost per session would be$ 900900.
Over the course of a month, two visits per week at that rate would bring your estimated cleaning spend to around $7,2007,200, assuming four weeks in the month.

Office size and average price range:

• Small Office – up to 200 sqm: $1.501.50 – $2.002.00 per sqm.

• Medium Office – 200–500 sqm: $1.301.30 – $1.801.80 per sqm.

• Large Office – over 500 sqm: $1.201.20 – $1.601.60 per sqm.

These ranges reflect typical economies of scale, where larger sites can sometimes secure lower per-square-meter rates due to more efficient cleaning routes.

Hourly rates for office cleaning

If priced by the hour, most cleaning companies charge between $40.40 and $60.60 per hour per cleaner, depending on the region, scope, and required expertise.
This model is often used for one-off jobs, deep cleans, move-in or move-out services, or highly customized scopes where task time can vary.

Example:
A typical cleaning team of two working for 2.5 hours might cost between 200200 and 300300 per visit.
If your office needs three such visits per week, your monthly cost could fall between roughly $2,400 and $3,600 depending on the agreed hourly rate.

Cost by type of office cleaning service

Here is how different service levels commonly compare on a per-square-meter basis:

• Basic cleaning (dusting, vacuuming, bins): $1.201.20–$1.501.50 per sqm.

• Deep cleaning (floors, windows, bathrooms): $1.601.60–$2.002.00 per sqm.

• Carpet cleaning: $2.002.00–$3.003.00 per sqm.

• Floor waxing and polishing: $2.502.50–$4.004.00 per sqm.

• High-touch disinfection: $1.501.50–$2.502.50 per sqm.

Mixing and matching these services allows you to design a plan that protects high-visibility areas while managing costs in low-traffic zones.

How to save on office cleaning costs

Here are a few tips to manage cleaning costs while keeping your office spotless and aligned with health and safety expectations.

Practical cost-saving strategies

• Bundle services to get better rates from your cleaning provider, especially if you need multiple locations or supplemental services like carpet or window cleaning.

• Choose the right frequency—balance cleanliness with budget by increasing service in busy seasons and scaling back slightly when occupancy drops.

• Prioritize high-traffic areas during off-peak cleanings so that shared spaces, restrooms, and reception areas always look their best.

• Request a custom quote based on your actual needs instead of fixed packages, so you are not paying for services that are not essential for your type of office.

• Over time, reviewing your scope and walk-through checklist with your provider helps remove redundant tasks and focus effort where it has the most impact.

Why work with a professional office cleaning provider

At Ziva Cleaning Services, we understand the importance of a clean workspace for both health and brand perception. Our team specializes in tailored office cleaning solutions that meet your facility’s specific needs and budget, rather than one-size-fits-all packages.

We offer transparent pricing, reliable scheduling, and high-quality standards across every cleaning visit, so you always know what is being done and when.

Whether you manage a small office or a large corporate space, we can help you maintain a healthy and productive environment by focusing on both appearance and hygiene.
Professional cleaning also supports compliance with workplace expectations around sanitation and cleanliness, which are increasingly important to employees and clients.

Need a quote for office cleaning?

If you're looking to hire a trusted and experienced office cleaning provider, Ziva Cleaning Services is here to help.
Request a free custom quote today, or explore more of our commercial cleaning solutions on our blog.

For more insights, check out: 5 Tips to Keep Your Office Clean and Professional.
Keep your workplace spotless, healthy, and productive with Ziva Cleaning Services.