Is a commercial lease much more expensive than a residential lease if they are in the same area?

Also, how likely is the owner of commerical property going to be willing to let one retailer share his space (possibly sublease) with another retailer for part of the year? I would like to open a retail store, but only want to have it open a few months out of the year and don't want to have to pay for a whole year's lease.

of course . commerciallly theres a possibility of earning a profit. therfore the leasee will want to more in rents. you cant even compare the two

A commercial lease will always be more expensive than a residential lease in the same area. Commercial space has different zoning, and real estate rates that effect the amount of the lease.
The owner of the commercial property will probably be hesitant to share space for part of a year, because most retail commercial space lease agreements are for three to five years in large markets. You will have a hard time finding a landlord that will let you lease a space for a few months out the year.
What area are you in, are you in a large market? You may be able to find a landlord to work with you in a large RE market vs. a secondary RE market.

A commercial lease is commonly Triple Net (NNN) that means the tenant pays Rent, Insurance and utilities. The landlord may care about what you do with the property as long as you pay rent every month and don鈥檛 damage the property

It really depends. If you are looking for simply an office, you may be able to find a coop or "business incubator" that offers a simple office and shared restrooms and kitchens.

Typically however, yes, a business/commercial lease can by much more (ten times) expensive the comparable square footage in a residential setting.

I have an internet company with three offices, a kitchen and a full bath. When looking at commercial office space, a comparable location was $2500 to $3000 per month. I found a two bedroom residential duplex where the owner didn't mind that I would use it for office space... my rent? $460 per month. My office is the living room and I have two offices for staff. I even have a back yard yea!

If you are going to be operating an office from a residential location, make sure and check with local zoning rules. If you are renting a residential property, make sure and be up front and honest with the landlord/owner, if you don't you may find yourself moving again very soon.

Good luck.

they usually are

yes, obviously.