Development Team Cost Calculator

A small product team of three to five people typically costs $30,000–$90,000 per month fully loaded in the US, and considerably less in Eastern Europe, Latin America or Asia. Cost depends on team size, seniority mix and region — use the calculator above to model your own team.

Fully-loaded cost is more than salary: it includes benefits, payroll taxes, equipment, software, office or remote-work stipends and general overhead. A common rule is that fully-loaded cost runs about 1.25–1.4× base salary. This calculator uses fully-loaded monthly figures.

Region is one of the biggest levers on cost. Western Europe often runs around 20% below US rates, while Latin America and South/Southeast Asia can be 50–60% lower for comparable seniority. Time-zone overlap, communication and hiring speed are trade-offs worth weighing alongside cost.

A lean team usually pairs engineers (frontend, backend or full-stack) with a designer and someone owning product decisions. QA is often shared or added as the product grows. Start with the smallest team that can ship, then add specialists once you have traction.