Pricing — SG - VN - TW vs AIEE.DEV
Reference rate card only — SOQ’s active offer is the US$25,000 complete package in 2.1.
Active offer for SOQ: Plan SOQ-25K — US$25,000 complete package (CRD + 4 apps + SWDA/Xero + 100% source).
This page is background only — local rate-card math for “build your own team”. It is not what SOQ pays on the active offer.
How to read this section
- Local SWE rates — local hire / local agency bands in Vietnam and Taiwan (primary build economics), plus Singapore as onshore reference only
- Build-your-own team cost — estimated loaded cost if SOQ staffs the same squad locally in each country
- AIEE.DEV packages — fixed delivery pricing using Singapore-led + Vietnam/Taiwan local build hybrid
- Comparison — why AIEE.DEV wins on outcome-per-dollar vs pure SG SI or unmanaged offshore
Methodology: Package math uses local-market rates for non-English-premium engineers (VN/TW direct hire and reputable local shops — typically USD 12–22/hr blended delivery in Vietnam, USD 18–28/hr in Taiwan). We do not price packages on Singapore agency day rates (USD 350–500/day) or English-native premium bands.
Currency: SGD unless noted. Rates are indicative local-market bands, not offers of employment. FX assumptions ~ USD 1 ≈ SGD 1.30–1.35.
1. Local SWE rate card (local market)
Singapore (onshore reference — not primary build rate)
| Level | Monthly base (SGD) | Fully loaded* (SGD/mo) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | 4,000 – 6,000 | 5,500 – 8,000 | Reference only |
| Mid | 6,000 – 8,500 | 8,000 – 11,500 | Reference only |
| Senior | 8,500 – 12,000 | 11,000 – 16,000 | Reference only |
| Lead / Principal | 11,000 – 16,000 | 14,000 – 21,000 | SG solution lead band |
*Loaded ≈ salary + CPF/employer burden + tools (~30–35%). AIEE.DEV does not price full builds on these bands — they are the benchmark SOQ would pay for 100% onshore.
Vietnam (local hire / local agency — primary build economics)
| Level | Monthly (USD) local | Local agency (USD/hr) | Day rate (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | 600 – 1,100 | 10 – 16 | 80 – 120 |
| Mid | 900 – 1,600 | 14 – 20 | 100 – 140 |
| Senior | 1,400 – 2,500 | 18 – 24 | 120 – 170 |
| Lead (local) | 2,000 – 3,200 | 22 – 28 | 150 – 200 |
| Managed local squad | — | 12 – 22 blended all-in | USD 100 – 160 / person / day |
Timezone: UTC+7 (1 hour behind Singapore) — real-time collaboration. English: working proficiency typical; specs and acceptance in English from SG lead.
Taiwan (local hire / local agency)
| Level | Monthly (USD eq.) | Local agency (USD/hr) | Day rate (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid SWE | 1,600 – 2,800 | 18 – 26 | 120 – 180 |
| Senior SWE | 2,500 – 4,000 | 24 – 32 | 160 – 220 |
| Managed local squad | — | 18 – 28 blended | USD 140 – 200 / person / day |
Quality engineering strength; cost between Vietnam and Singapore on local bands (not expat-premium).
2. Cost to staff SOQ TMS yourself (6 months MVP)
Assumes a lean squad for Package B–class MVP (~6 months):
1 lead + 2 senior + 2 mid + 1 QA + 0.5 DevOps + 0.5 PM/UX (≈ 7 FTE blended).
| Location model | Est. 6-month loaded labour (SGD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 100% Singapore | S$480,000 – S$850,000 | High quality; expensive; slow hire |
| 100% Vietnam (local rates) | S$95,000 – S$180,000 | Lowest labour; needs strong SG product owner |
| 100% Taiwan (local rates) | S$140,000 – S$260,000 | Mid labour; still need SG domain lead for SWDA |
| Naive SG + VN mix (unmanaged) | S$180,000 – S$320,000 | Savings real; integration risk if no single owner |
Labour only — excludes SWDA discovery risk, UAT cycles, hosting, and rework. Pure labour ≠ successful funded TMS.
3. AIEE.DEV model (recommended)
Singapore solution / product leadership + Vietnam primary build (local rates) + Taiwan surge when needed.
| Role | Where |
|---|---|
| Solution design, SWDA strategy (HK / CSO) | Singapore |
| Product / UX sign-off (Eddy / CPO) | Singapore (+ remote design) |
| Full-stack coding (Andy Koh / CTO) | Singapore-led |
| Software Engineer Level II - III - IV | Under CTO — feature, module, and integration execution |
| Frontend / backend delivery capacity | Vietnam (local hire / local shop) |
| Hardening / specialised modules | Taiwan (local surge) |
| Integration engineer (SWDA/Xero) | CTO-led + VN implement |
Effective blended delivery rate (AIEE.DEV)
| Indicative | |
|---|---|
| Blended productive engineering | ≈ SGD 28 – 48 / hour all-in delivery |
| vs pure SG onshore build | SGD 70 – 120+ / hour equivalent |
| vs raw VN local freelancer | Higher — includes PM, QA, SG lead, handoff docs |
You pay for outcome ownership at local build economics, not English-premium agency rates.
4. Head-to-head (same SOQ scope class)
| Approach | Est. full-suite labour envelope (SGD) | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Buy DSMR + SI custom | Licence opaque + custom often 300k–1M+ | Vendor lock |
| 100% Singapore SI | 800k – 1.8M+ | Expensive; slow |
| Vietnam body shop only | 180k – 320k | High SWDA/compliance risk |
| AIEE.DEV hybrid (local VN/TW) | Market suite class 280k – 550k | Managed - phased |
SOQ’s invoice is not the table above. Active commercial offer: 2.1 Plan SOQ-25K — US$25,000 (complete package). Payment, retention, and support live only on 2.1 / 5.10.
Board line: Pure SG build prices like a government SI; pure VN local build is cheap but risky without SG + SWDA leadership. AIEE.DEV prices on local VN/TW rates with Singapore ownership.
Related
- 2.1 Plan SOQ-25K — active offer (fee, calendar, payment)
- 2.2 Grants — EDG / what does not apply
- 5.10 Handover pack — retention support scope