The verdict in three sentences
A trilingual English-French-Arabic corporate website for a Montreal group with five MENA-facing subsidiaries costs CAD 70,000 to 180,000 in 2026 (the same scope in Casablanca runs MAD 180,000 to 450,000), plus professional translation at CAD 0.18 to 0.30 per word. A realistic timeline is 10 to 14 weeks, including 3 to 4 weeks for content and per-language approvals. The most underestimated item is Arabic in RTL (right to left): tables, forms, icons and fonts must be designed for it from the mockup stage, not bolted on at the end.
What CAD 70,000 to 180,000 covers
The gap between the low and high end comes from the number of templates, subsidiaries and integrations. Figures below are 2026 estimates for Montreal agencies.
| Item | Essential version | Full group version |
|---|---|---|
| UX design and LTR + RTL mockups | CAD 14,000 | CAD 32,000 |
| Multilingual CMS development (20 to 45 templates) | CAD 31,000 | CAD 76,000 |
| Subsidiary pages (5 sub-sites or sections) | CAD 8,000 | CAD 28,000 |
| Multilingual SEO: hreflang, per-language URLs, sitemap | CAD 5,000 | CAD 12,000 |
| Integrations (CRM, recruiting, investor area) | CAD 6,000 | CAD 20,000 |
| QA in 3 languages, accessibility | CAD 6,000 | CAD 12,000 |
| Total excluding translation | CAD 70,000 | CAD 180,000 |
Architecture matters: per-language folders (/en/, /fr/, /ar/) on one domain concentrate SEO authority and cost less to maintain than three separate domains. Each page must declare its equivalents through hreflang, with an x-default version. In Quebec, French content must also be at least as available as English under Bill 96.
Translation, RTL and update costs
Translation is billed per source word. A group website needs reviewed human translation, with a glossary and translation memory to keep subsidiaries consistent.
| Item | 2026 rate or effort | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| EN to FR translation | CAD 0.18 to 0.25/word | Specialized translator, review included |
| EN to AR (Modern Standard Arabic) | CAD 0.22 to 0.30/word | Native-speaker review mandatory |
| Machine translation + post-editing | CAD 0.08 to 0.12/word | Fine for news, not for corporate pages |
| RTL adaptation of components | 15 to 25% of front-end budget | Tables, carousels, arrows, forms |
| Arabic web fonts (Noto Kufi, IBM Plex Arabic, licences) | CAD 0 to 5,000 | Subset fonts to control page weight |
| Annual content updates | CAD 10,000 to 25,000/year | 10,000 to 20,000 words translated per year |
Recurring RTL traps: figure tables whose columns do not flip, Western and Eastern Arabic numerals mixed without a rule, directional icons not mirrored, misaligned phone fields, and annual report PDFs available in only one language. They are solved by using CSS logical properties (margin-inline-start rather than margin-left) from day one.
Governance: who approves what, in which language
Group websites rarely fail on technology. They fail when Arabic waits three weeks for a single approver. Define a per-language circuit in the CMS: writing in the source language, translation, review by a native approver per language, and an explicit choice between simultaneous or staggered publishing. Set a clear rule: a page goes live only when all three versions are ready, or the interface explicitly shows the content available in the original language.
Mini case study
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Nadia, communications director of a Montreal group with real estate, distribution and logistics subsidiaries in Morocco and the Gulf (5 subsidiaries), plans 60 pages of 600 words, so 36,000 source words. Translation into French and Arabic: 72,000 words at CAD 0.24 on average, so CAD 17,280. Mid-range development: CAD 110,000. Total launch budget: CAD 127,280 over 12 weeks. Annual updates: 15,000 new words in two languages, so CAD 7,200 a year, plus CAD 1,500 a month of maintenance. Over 3 years, the full cost reaches about CAD 205,000.
FAQ
Do we need one domain per language?
No, a single domain with /en/, /fr/, /ar/ folders works in 90% of cases. It avoids paying for three certificates, three SEO programs and three backlink profiles.
Can we launch in English and French and add Arabic later?
Yes, but adding RTL late costs 30 to 50% more than planning it at mockup stage. If Arabic is expected within 12 months, design components for it now.
Is machine translation enough for Arabic?
Not for corporate pages: a tone error in a chairman's message or investor page has a brand cost. It remains useful for news, with post-editing at CAD 0.08 to 0.12 per word.
Which CMS suits a trilingual site?
A headless CMS like Sanity or a well-configured multilingual WordPress handles three languages and RTL. The deciding factor is the per-language approval workflow, not the tool.
How long to update a page in all three languages?
With a clear circuit, allow 3 to 5 business days from writing to trilingual publishing. Without one, gaps between versions often exceed several months.
Let's scope your project. We price your trilingual site with RTL mockups, translation budget and per-subsidiary approval workflow, for a launch in 10 to 14 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
