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For a 2025 global construction benchmark, budget about $10,700 per kW for data-center shell-and-core construction, based on JLL Research’s reported average of $10.7 million per MW. JLL forecasts a 2026 global average of $11,300 per kW. These are construction benchmarks, not all-in prices for usable IT capacity: JLL excludes land and active IT equipment, and tenant technology fit-out is separate.
What does “cost per kW” include?
The figure is only useful when its cost boundary and capacity denominator are clear. A project estimate may include some or all of shell and core, mechanical and electrical systems, architectural fit-out, land, active IT equipment, contingency, and financing. The JLL global benchmark is presented per MW of data-center capacity; do not treat it as a more precisely defined IT-load price than the source establishes.
For its city comparisons, JLL uses a single-tenant, 50 MW, air-cooled data center. Its outlook states that the chart includes shell-and-core construction only; land acquisition and active IT equipment are excluded.
Why published construction figures can differ
Not every construction index uses the same scope. Turner & Townsend’s 2025 methodology groups shell and core, architectural fit-out and finishes, mechanical and electrical fit-out, contractor preliminaries, contractor margin, contractor contingency, and mechanical and electrical equipment. It says its data was captured from more than 300 live or recent projects in more than 20 countries. The firm converted costs to US dollars using the average exchange rate from 1 October 2024 to 1 October 2025 and supplemented project data with a poll of more than 280 industry experts.
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Because those categories extend beyond JLL’s shell-and-core benchmark, the two measures should not be compared as though they price the same scope.
Published construction benchmarks
One megawatt is 1,000 kilowatts, so dividing a per-MW figure by 1,000 gives the corresponding per-kW figure.
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| Measure | Per MW | Per kW | What it represents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 global average | $10.7 million | $10,700 | JLL Research construction benchmark; shell and core, with land and active IT equipment excluded. |
| 2026 global forecast | $11.3 million | $11,300 | JLL Research forecast, not a completed-year observation; shell and core, with land and active IT equipment excluded. |
| AI tenant technology fit-out | Up to $25 million | Up to $25,000 | JLL’s stated upper-end figure for AI infrastructure tenant fit-out, separate from the construction benchmark—not a typical add-on for every facility. |
These global figures are useful starting points, not universal prices or project quotations. A budget should identify its year, location, design and included scope.
How location and design affect the estimate
JLL’s 2026 market examples below are shell-and-core estimates converted from millions of dollars per MW. They use the report’s single-tenant, 50 MW, air-cooled baseline.
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| Market | JLL 2026 estimate per MW | Converted estimate per kW |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | $14–18 million | $14,000–18,000 |
| Chicago | $12–14 million | $12,000–14,000 |
| London | $12–14 million | $12,000–14,000 |
| Mumbai | $6–7 million | $6,000–7,000 |
These are estimates for the named markets, not regional averages. JLL also states that liquid-cooled facilities carry a 10% cost premium and that multistory facilities in the Americas add 20% to construction costs. Treat both as JLL’s source-specific assumptions rather than universal adjustments; they do not establish a precise combined uplift for a particular project.
Do not confuse construction cost with colocation rent
Building a facility is a capital cost; leasing capacity in an operating colocation facility is a recurring service charge. CBRE Research reported an average asking price of $174.06 per kW per month in H1 2024 across primary North American wholesale colocation markets for a 250–500 kW requirement. That historical market figure is not a construction cost and cannot be substituted for a build-cost benchmark.
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How to use the benchmark in a project budget
- Choose the cost boundary. State whether the estimate covers shell and core alone or also fit-out, mechanical and electrical equipment, land, active IT equipment, contingency, and financing.
- Define the capacity basis. Specify whether the denominator is planned IT load or another measure. Do not imply that a benchmark reported per MW of data-center capacity necessarily represents the exact IT-load basis of your project.
- Match the market and design. Use the relevant location and identify cooling type, facility height, size, and tenancy assumptions. Published city figures above are based on JLL’s stated 50 MW, single-tenant, air-cooled baseline.
- Keep forecast and observed values distinct. JLL’s $10,700/kW figure describes its 2025 global construction average; $11,300/kW is its 2026 forecast. Neither is a bid or guaranteed project price.
- Add excluded costs separately. Build a project-specific allowance for items outside the selected benchmark, such as land, active IT equipment, and tenant technology fit-out. Do not apply JLL’s AI fit-out upper bound as a standard allowance.
For historical context, Turner & Townsend reported a 9% global average year-on-year increase in its 2024 construction cost index. That is a historical index result, not an escalation assumption for a 2026 estimate.
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