Offshore development rates in 2026, by region and role

Senior engineers cost $90–160 an hour onshore in the US and Western Europe, $35–60 nearshore in Eastern Europe, and $18–30 in South and Southeast Asia. Our own rate is $45, published and identical for every client country.

Custom software SaaS products AI development Web applications AI chatbots Nearshore teams

Rates

Market observations, not quotes

Collected from published price lists and quotes seen in 2026. Treat as an order of magnitude, not as a benchmark to negotiate against.

Role

AsiaNearshore Eastern Europe

Eastern EuropeSouth / Southeast Asia

Tech lead

$50–75

$25–40

Senior engineer

$35–60

$18–30

Mid engineer

$25–45

$12–22

$20–35

$10–18

DevOps

$40–65

$20–35

Designer

$25–45

$12–25

Our published rates

Tech lead $55 · Senior engineer $45 · DevOps $45 · PM $38 · Mid engineer $34 · Designer $34 · QA $28. Dedicated team −10%, agency partners −15% from 320 hours a month.

These are ordinary market rates for a senior European team. The saving in our estimates is in the hours, not the rate — roughly 2.5× fewer on the programming share, which is why the same scope lands about a third below market. Method: engineering report.

Senior

$45/hour

Range

$28–55 by role

Minimum

40 hours per month

Total cost

Why the rate is not the cost

Four multipliers that turn a cheap hour into an expensive project — and how to model them before signing.

Rework

Requirements misread once can cost a fortnight. Multiply the rate by an honest rework factor: 1.0–1.1 for a team that asks questions in your working day, 1.3–1.5 for one that cannot.

Your own management time

Cheaper vendors need more specification and more review from you. Price your own hours into the comparison — most people forget to.

Turnover

If the team changes twice a year, onboarding repeats twice a year. Ask for the average tenure before you ask for a discount.

Time-zone tax on incidents

Production breaks in your afternoon. Who is awake, and what does an hour of downtime cost you? That number often decides the region.

A twelve-month model, roughly

Total cost ≈ (rate × hours × rework factor) + your management hours + onboarding repeats + incident exposure. Run it for two vendors and the ranking frequently flips versus the rate card.

Industries

Industries we know

We build with the domain in mind — from fintech and retail to manufacturing and healthcare.

18 sectors

IT companies and digital agencies
Insurers and brokers
Lenders and microfinance
E-commerce
Wholesale and distribution
Manufacturing
Freight and forwarding
Clinics and medical centres
Dental
Car dealers and service centres
EdTech
Legal and consulting firms
Equipment rental
Real estate agencies
Property developers
Travel and events
Beauty and wellness
Construction and renovation

FAQ

Rate questions

What buyers ask when comparing three proposals with three different assumptions.

How much does an hour of development cost in 2026?

$18–30 in South and Southeast Asia, $35–60 in Eastern Europe, $90–160 onshore in the US and Western Europe. Ours is $45 for a senior engineer, published.

Why is the spread so wide?

Seniority, domain, language and willingness to work in your hours. A "senior" title means different things in different markets, which is why we interview rather than trust CVs.