One of the first questions we hear from clients at Tobit Research Consulting is: “How much will this cost?” It’s a fair question, and one that rarely gets a straight answer online. Most research firms in Kenya hide their pricing, forcing you to submit an inquiry form and wait days for a quote — often with no idea whether you’re being quoted fairly or overpaying by 50%.
This guide breaks down exactly what market research costs in Kenya in 2026, covering consumer surveys, feasibility studies, baseline evaluations, customer satisfaction studies, and more. Whether you’re a startup validating product-market fit, an NGO planning a program evaluation, or a corporate exploring market entry, you’ll know what budget to set aside and what pricing signals credible quality versus red flags.
Why Market Research Pricing Varies So Much
Before we get into numbers, it’s important to understand why one firm might quote KES 200,000 for a study while another quotes KES 800,000 for what appears to be the same scope. Market research pricing is driven by five core variables:
Sample size — A survey of 200 respondents costs far less than a survey of 2,000 respondents. The larger the sample, the higher the fieldwork cost, the longer the timeline, and the more complex the data management.
Geographic coverage — A study conducted only in Nairobi costs a fraction of a study that covers 10 counties or all 47 counties. Rural fieldwork requires more enumerators, more travel, more supervision, and more time.
Methodology complexity — A simple questionnaire survey administered via phone is cheaper than a mixed-methods study combining face-to-face surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and ethnographic observation. Qualitative research is inherently more expensive per respondent because it requires skilled moderators and time-intensive analysis.
Respondent type — Surveying the general public is easier and cheaper than surveying CEOs, doctors, or other hard-to-reach professionals who command higher incentives and require more effort to recruit.
Analysis depth — Basic descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, cross-tabulations) cost less than advanced econometric modeling, segmentation analysis, conjoint analysis, or predictive modeling using tools like STATA, R, or Python.
A credible research firm will ask detailed questions about all five variables before quoting. If a firm gives you a price within five minutes of your inquiry without asking about sample size, coverage, or methodology, that’s a red flag.
Market Research Pricing Breakdown by Study Type
Here’s what you should expect to pay for the most common types of market research in Kenya in 2026. All figures are based on current market rates and reflect professional-grade work, not student-level surveys or firms cutting corners on quality.
1. Consumer Surveys and Brand Research
What it is: Surveys measuring consumer preferences, brand awareness, purchase behavior, satisfaction, or attitudes toward products and services.
Typical scope: 300–1,500 respondents, urban areas (Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru), structured questionnaire, face-to-face or mobile survey.
Pricing:
- Small-scale (300–500 respondents, 1–2 cities): KES 250,000 – 450,000
- Medium-scale (500–1,000 respondents, 3–5 cities): KES 450,000 – 900,000
- Large-scale (1,000–2,000 respondents, national): KES 900,000 – 2,000,000
Timeline: 4–8 weeks from contract signing to final report delivery.
What’s included: Questionnaire design, enumerator training, fieldwork, data cleaning, analysis (SPSS/STATA), written report, PowerPoint presentation.
Example: A beverage company wants to test consumer preferences for three new product flavors among urban millennials in Nairobi and Mombasa. Sample size: 600 respondents. Budget: KES 400,000.
2. Feasibility Studies and Investment Surveys
What it is: Comprehensive assessments of whether a proposed business venture, project, or investment is viable. Includes market analysis, demand forecasting, competitive landscape, financial modeling (NPV, IRR, break-even), and risk assessment.
Typical scope: Mixed methods (primary surveys + secondary data + stakeholder interviews), financial modeling, market sizing, regulatory analysis.
Pricing:
- Small-scale feasibility (single product/location, limited modeling): KES 400,000 – 800,000
- Medium-scale feasibility (multi-location, detailed financial model): KES 800,000 – 1,500,000
- Large-scale feasibility (national scope, complex sectors): KES 1,500,000 – 3,500,000+
Timeline: 6–12 weeks depending on scope and data availability.
What’s included: Market assessment, demand analysis, competitive intelligence, financial modeling (DCF, NPV, IRR, sensitivity analysis), stakeholder consultations, risk profiling, go/no-go recommendation.
Example: A real estate developer wants to assess the feasibility of a 200-unit residential development in a mid-sized Kenyan town. Budget: KES 1,200,000.
3. Baseline, Midline, and Endline Surveys (NGO/Development Work)
What it is: Structured surveys that establish benchmarks at the start of a program (baseline), track progress during implementation (midline), and measure final outcomes (endline). Common in NGO and donor-funded development programs.
Typical scope: 500–2,000 respondents, rural and urban coverage, aligned to program logframes and M&E frameworks, mixed methods.
Pricing:
- Baseline only (500–1,000 respondents, single county): KES 600,000 – 1,200,000
- Baseline only (1,000–2,000 respondents, multi-county): KES 1,200,000 – 2,500,000
- Full baseline + endline (2 rounds, 1,000 each): KES 2,000,000 – 4,000,000
Timeline: 8–12 weeks per survey round.
What’s included: Indicator framework alignment, sampling design, questionnaire development, enumerator training, fieldwork supervision, data cleaning, statistical analysis, indicator tracking, report aligned to donor standards.
Example: An international health NGO needs a baseline survey across 5 counties to measure maternal health knowledge and facility access before launching a 3-year program. Sample: 1,200 mothers. Budget: KES 1,800,000.
4. Customer Satisfaction and Service Quality Surveys
What it is: Surveys measuring how satisfied customers are with products, services, or programs. Often includes Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), and service quality gap analysis.
Typical scope: 300–1,000 customers, structured questionnaire, phone or in-person surveys.
Pricing:
- Small-scale (300–500 customers, single location): KES 200,000 – 400,000
- Medium-scale (500–1,000 customers, multi-location): KES 400,000 – 800,000
- Large-scale (1,000+ customers, national): KES 800,000 – 1,500,000
Timeline: 4–6 weeks.
What’s included: Survey design, sampling from customer database, data collection, satisfaction scoring, driver analysis, service improvement recommendations.
Example: A fintech company wants to understand why their app retention rate is declining. They commission a customer satisfaction survey of 600 current and lapsed users. Budget: KES 450,000.
5. Qualitative Research (Focus Groups and In-Depth Interviews)
What it is: In-depth exploration of attitudes, motivations, and behaviors through moderated discussions (Focus Group Discussions, FGDs) or one-on-one conversations (In-Depth Interviews, IDIs).
Typical scope: 4–8 FGDs or 10–20 IDIs, recruited participants, professional moderation, transcription, thematic analysis using NVivo.
Pricing:
- Single FGD (6–10 participants, Nairobi): KES 80,000 – 120,000
- Mini-qualitative study (4–6 FGDs): KES 400,000 – 600,000
- In-Depth Interview (1 expert/stakeholder): KES 25,000 – 60,000
- KII study (15–20 key informants): KES 400,000 – 800,000
Timeline: 3–5 weeks.
What’s included: Recruitment, screener development, discussion guide, moderation, transcription, thematic analysis, insights report.
Example: A bank wants to understand why uptake of their new savings product is low among women. They commission 6 FGDs across Nairobi and Mombasa. Budget: KES 500,000.
6. Market Entry and Competitor Analysis
What it is: Research to support companies entering new markets or understanding their competitive landscape. Includes market sizing, competitor profiling, SWOT analysis, pricing benchmarking, and strategic positioning.
Typical scope: Desk research, stakeholder interviews, market mapping, competitive intelligence gathering.
Pricing:
- Competitor analysis only (5–10 competitors profiled): KES 300,000 – 600,000
- Market entry study (full market assessment + competitive landscape): KES 600,000 – 1,500,000
- Multi-country market entry (East Africa regional): KES 1,500,000 – 3,500,000
Timeline: 4–8 weeks.
What’s included: Market size estimation, competitor analysis, regulatory landscape, distribution channels, pricing dynamics, entry strategy recommendations.
Example: A European manufacturing company is considering entering the Kenyan market. They need a market entry study covering market size, competitors, regulatory requirements, and distribution. Budget: KES 1,000,000.
7. Public Opinion and Perception Surveys
What it is: Surveys measuring public attitudes, awareness, and perceptions on policy issues, brands, institutions, or social topics. Often used by government agencies, political campaigns, and advocacy organizations.
Typical scope: 1,000–3,000 respondents, nationally representative sampling, phone or face-to-face surveys.
Pricing:
- Regional survey (500–1,000 respondents, 3–5 counties): KES 600,000 – 1,200,000
- National survey (1,500–3,000 respondents, all regions): KES 1,500,000 – 3,000,000
Timeline: 6–10 weeks.
What’s included: Survey design, representative sampling, fieldwork, statistical analysis, demographic breakdowns, perception mapping, media-ready findings.
Example: A government ministry wants to measure public awareness of a new policy initiative across Kenya. National sample: 2,000 respondents. Budget: KES 2,200,000.
What Affects Price Beyond the Basics?
Even within the ranges above, final pricing depends on several additional factors:
Turnaround speed — Need results in 2 weeks instead of 6 weeks? Express service typically adds 20–30% to the cost because it requires more enumerators working simultaneously and analysts prioritizing your project.
Hard-to-reach populations — Surveying refugees, people with disabilities, pastoralist communities, or high-net-worth individuals requires specialized recruitment, higher incentives, and more time. Expect costs to increase by 30–50%.
Multiple languages — If your survey needs to be conducted in English, Swahili, and three local languages, translation and back-translation add to costs. Budget an additional KES 50,000 – 150,000 for multi-language work.
Advanced statistical analysis — Standard cross-tabulations are included in most pricing. But if you need regression modeling, factor analysis, conjoint analysis, or predictive analytics, expect to pay an additional KES 100,000 – 300,000 depending on complexity.
Real-time dashboards — Some clients want live dashboards showing fieldwork progress and preliminary results in real time. This requires custom development and adds KES 150,000 – 300,000 to project costs.
Red Flags: When the Price Is Too Good to Be True
If you receive a quote significantly below the ranges outlined here, ask hard questions before proceeding. Common corners that cheap firms cut include:
No enumerator training — They hire anyone willing to fill out surveys, leading to poor data quality and interviewer bias.
No pilot testing — The questionnaire goes straight to the field without testing, resulting in confusing questions and incomplete data.
Insufficient supervision — Enumerators work unsupervised, leading to falsified interviews, rushed data collection, and inconsistent quality.
Poor sampling — Instead of probability sampling, they use convenience sampling (whoever is easiest to reach), destroying the statistical validity of the findings.
No back-checks — They don’t verify that interviews actually happened, allowing enumerators to fabricate data.
A KES 150,000 “market research study” that claims to cover 500 respondents across 5 counties is almost certainly not delivering what’s promised. The math simply doesn’t work once you account for enumerator pay, transport, supervision, and quality assurance.
How to Budget for Market Research
Here’s a practical approach to setting your research budget:
Start with your decision value — How much is riding on getting this right? If you’re investing KES 50 million in a new factory, spending KES 1.5 million on a feasibility study is cheap insurance. If you’re launching a KES 5 million pilot program, a KES 400,000 baseline makes sense.
Allocate 3–8% of project value to research — As a rule of thumb, research should cost 3–8% of the total project or investment value for high-stakes decisions. For lower-stakes decisions, 1–3% is reasonable.
Request quotes from 3 firms — Don’t just go with the cheapest or the most expensive. Compare what’s included, ask for sample reports, and check references.
Negotiate scope, not quality — If the budget is tight, reduce sample size or geographic coverage rather than asking the firm to cut corners on quality. A well-executed study of 400 people is far more valuable than a poorly executed study of 1,000.
What You Should Get for Your Money
Regardless of price, here’s what any professional market research firm in Kenya should deliver:
Clear methodology documentation — Sampling strategy, data collection approach, quality assurance measures, and analytical plan should all be documented upfront in the proposal.
Regular progress updates — You should receive weekly updates during fieldwork, not radio silence until the final report.
Clean, verifiable data — You should receive the raw dataset (SPSS, Excel, or STATA format) alongside the analysis, allowing you to verify findings if needed.
Written report — A professional, well-structured report with executive summary, methodology, findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Not just data tables.
Presentation — A PowerPoint presentation of key findings designed for executive audiences, not academic seminars.
Post-project support — The firm should be available to answer questions, clarify findings, or present to your stakeholders after delivery.
Tobit Research Consulting: Transparent Pricing, Proven Quality
At Tobit Research Consulting, we believe clients deserve to know what they’re paying for and why. We’ve worked with the Italian Trade Agency, Government of Kenya’s Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, Amref Health Africa, and Acre Africa precisely because we deliver credible research at fair, transparent pricing.
Whether you need a KES 300,000 consumer survey or a KES 2,000,000 national baseline, we’ll design the right study for your budget and timeline — with no hidden costs and no quality compromises.
📧 Request a Custom Quote: info@tobitresearchconsulting.com 📱 WhatsApp / Call: +254 728 430 728 🏢 Office: Bruce House, 4th Floor, Standard Street, Nairobi 🌐 Website: tobitresearchconsulting.com
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a discount if I’m a startup or NGO?
We work with clients across budget ranges and can often design more affordable studies by adjusting sample size, geographic coverage, or methodology. Contact us to discuss your specific constraints.
How long does a typical study take?
Most quantitative studies take 4–8 weeks from contract signing to final report. Qualitative studies can be faster (3–4 weeks). Large-scale national studies may take 10–16 weeks.
Do you require full payment upfront?
No. Standard payment terms are 50% deposit at contract signing and 50% upon draft report submission. We can discuss alternative payment schedules for long-term clients or large projects.
What if I’m not happy with the results?
We include client review cycles in every project. If findings are unclear or recommendations don’t address your objectives, we revise until you’re satisfied. Our goal is insight you can act on, not just a report you file away.
Can you work within my university’s ethical approval requirements?
Yes. We regularly work with university researchers and can align our processes to institutional review board (IRB) requirements, informed consent protocols, and data protection standards.
