How Much Does Outsourced Marketing Cost in 2026

Agencies in our market use three primary pricing structures:

• Monthly retainer. You pay a fixed monthly fee for an agreed scope of work. This is the most common model for ongoing marketing partnerships. It provides predictability for both sides and incentivizes the agency to think long-term. Typical retainers in Central Asia range from $2,000 to $10,000/month depending on scope.
• Project-based pricing. A fixed fee for a defined deliverable: a brand strategy, website redesign, or campaign launch. This works well for one-off initiatives. Typical projects range from $3,000 to $25,000.
• Performance-based pricing. The agency fee is tied to results (leads, sales, revenue). This sounds attractive but creates perverse incentives: agencies optimize for the metric they’re paid on, which may not align with your business goals. Use this model cautiously and only for well-defined, measurable outcomes.

At EffectOn, we primarily use the retainer model because marketing is a continuous function, not a series of disconnected projects.

Here is what you can expect to pay for outsourced marketing in the Bishkek/Almaty/Tashkent market in 2026:

• Basic package ($2,000–$4,000/month): Social media management, basic content creation, simple PPC campaigns on 1–2 channels. Suitable for local businesses and early-stage companies.
• Growth package ($4,000–$8,000/month): Multi-channel strategy, content marketing, PPC across 3–4 platforms, monthly analytics and optimization. Suitable for mid-market companies with regional ambitions.
• Enterprise package ($8,000–$15,000+/month): Full marketing function outsourcing, including strategy, creative, performance marketing, CRM integration, and regular reporting to leadership. Suitable for companies with $5M+ revenue seeking aggressive growth.

These ranges cover agency fees only. Media spend (advertising budgets) is always additional and typically ranges from 1.5x to 5x the agency fee, depending on the industry and growth targets.

Several factors influence where you fall within these ranges:

• Number of channels. Running campaigns on Google, Yandex, Meta, LinkedIn, and TikTok simultaneously costs more than focusing on two channels.
• Content volume. A B2B company publishing 2 articles/month is cheaper to serve than an e-commerce brand that needs daily social content and weekly email campaigns.
• Industry complexity. Real estate marketing requires specialized visual content and long nurturing sequences. B2B marketing demands thought leadership content and account-based campaigns. Both cost more than standard retail.
• Reporting depth. Basic monthly reports are standard. Custom dashboards, attribution modeling, and executive presentations add cost.
• Speed and urgency. Rush projects and aggressive timelines command premium pricing.

When comparing agency costs to in-house, companies consistently underestimate the true cost of internal teams. Beyond salaries (which we break down in our in-house vs outsourcing comparison), factor in:

• Tool subscriptions: CRM ($50–$300/user/month), analytics platforms ($100–$500/month), design tools ($50–$150/user/month), SEO tools ($100–$400/month).
• Recruitment costs: 1–2 months of salary per hire for recruiting, plus 2–3 months of ramp-up before the hire is productive.
• Management overhead: Someone senior must manage, mentor, and quality-check the team. If that’s the CEO, the opportunity cost is enormous.
• Turnover risk: In the CIS market, marketing specialist turnover averages 18–24 months. Every departure resets your timeline.

When you add these hidden costs, a $6,000/month in-house team actually costs $9,000–$12,000/month in total cost of ownership.

The return on agency spend should be measured in business outcomes, not marketing metrics. Here is a simple framework:

• Step 1: Define your customer acquisition cost (CAC) target. If your average deal size is $10,000 and you need a 5:1 LTV:CAC ratio, your target CAC is $2,000.
• Step 2: Calculate total marketing cost (agency fee + media spend + tools) per month.
• Step 3: Track how many qualified leads and closed deals originate from marketing activities.
• Step 4: Divide total cost by closed deals to get actual CAC. Compare to target.

A good agency should be able to articulate this framework in the first meeting. If they only talk about impressions and clicks, they are not thinking about your business—they are thinking about their deliverables. At EffectOn, every strategy engagement starts with aligning on business KPIs before discussing marketing tactics.