Compliance Cost Dataset v2026.1
Annual PCI DSS compliance cost data by industry and component across 4,721 programmes
Cost Breakdown (Cross-Industry Average)
External assessor engagement, report costs, and re-assessment fees
Gap remediation, security tooling, and compensating controls
Compliance staff, evidence collection, and cross-team coordination
Data Preview (Industry Cohorts)
| industry | cost_usd | qsa_usd | remediation_usd | labour_usd | yoy_delta | sample_size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| fintech | $120,000 | $48,000 | $42,000 | $30,000 | -5% | 810 |
| saas | $98,000 | $39,200 | $34,300 | $24,500 | -7% | 920 |
| financial_services | $280,000 | $112,000 | $98,000 | $70,000 | -3% | 480 |
| healthcare | $195,000 | $78,000 | $68,250 | $48,750 | -2% | 560 |
| ecommerce | $145,000 | $58,000 | $50,750 | $36,250 | -4% | 620 |
| retail | $168,000 | $67,200 | $58,800 | $42,000 | -2% | 540 |
| hospitality | $178,000 | $71,200 | $62,300 | $44,500 | +1% | 310 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does the compliance cost dataset include?
The dataset includes total annual compliance spend broken down into three components: QSA/Audit Fees (40%), Remediation and Tooling (35%), and Internal Labour (25%). Data is split by industry cohort and includes year-over-year delta where historical data is available.
Why is Financial Services so much more expensive than SaaS?
Financial Services programmes typically carry a larger cardholder data environment scope, higher transaction volumes, more complex network segmentation requirements, and greater internal headcount dedicated to compliance. SaaS programmes benefit from scope-reduced environments and high automation.
Can I use this data in a commercial report?
The dataset is licensed for non-commercial use under CC BY-NC 4.0. For commercial licensing, including use in paid research reports or consulting deliverables, contact licensing@grctrack.com.