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Localization Cost Calculator

Estimate translation and localization costs based on word count, language pair difficulty, deadline urgency, and subject specialization.

Inputs

Results

Base Translation Cost

$500.00

≈ 9 tanks of gas

Total Cost

$500.00

≈ 9 tanks of gas

Urgency Surcharge$0.00
Specialist Surcharge$0.00
Effective Cost per Word$0.10
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter the source text word count for the project.
  2. Select the target languages and set the translation rate per word for each.
  3. Input DTP (desktop publishing) hours and hourly rate if formatting is required.
  4. Set the quality assurance review rate (typically 30-50% of translation cost).
  5. Review total localization cost per language and aggregate project cost.

How the result changes with Word Count

Word CountBase Translation CostTotal Cost
100,001$10,000.10$10,000.10
350,001$35,000.10$35,000.10
650,000$65,000.00$65,000.00
900,000$90,000.00$90,000.00

What each input means

Word Count
Total number of words to be translated.
Language Pair Difficulty
1 = common (EN-ES, EN-FR), 2 = medium (EN-DE, EN-RU), 3 = rare (EN-JP, EN-AR).
Deadline (days)
Number of days until delivery. Under 3 days adds a 50% rush fee.
Specialization Level
1 = general content, 2 = technical (IT, engineering), 3 = legal/medical.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Word Count = 5000, Language Pair Difficulty = 1, Deadline (days) = 7, Specialization Level = 1 = 4 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Base Translation Cost
    Base Translation Cost
    500 = $500
  3. Calculate Total Cost
    Total Cost
    500 = $500
  4. Calculate Urgency Surcharge
    Urgency Surcharge
    0 = $0
  5. Calculate Specialist Surcharge
    Specialist Surcharge
    0 = $0

Engine last updated . Checked against 1 independently-derived test — how we verify calculators.

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