The verdict in three sentences
A trilingual FR/EN/NL institutional redesign in Brussels costs, as a 2026 order of magnitude, between EUR 15,000 and 25,000 once editorial governance and accessibility are included. The heaviest cost driver is not design but the multi-level validation workflow and structured translation, both routinely underestimated. Expect 12 to 16 weeks of work and EUR 400 to 900 per month of maintenance to keep quality over time.
What a trilingual foundation with governance really costs
The budget of a multilingual institutional site breaks down into clear building blocks. The communications team must choose between a headless CMS (Sanity), which structures content per language, and a more classic WordPress multisite. Here is the 2026 order of magnitude on the European market.
| Item | 2026 range (EUR) | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| CMS foundation + governance | 12,000 - 20,000 | Validation workflow, editorial roles |
| Extra language (EN then NL) | 1,800 / language | i18n structure, hreflang, review |
| WCAG 2.1 AA compliance | 3,000 | Audit + component remediation |
| Design system + mockups | 4,000 - 7,000 | Style guide, reusable components |
| Content migration | 2,000 - 5,000 | Migration + rewriting |
| Maintenance (monthly) | 400 - 900 /month | Fixes, evolutions, security |
Adding the foundation, two extra languages and accessibility, a communications department typically reaches EUR 18,000 to 24,000 for a solid project, excluding campaigns.
Sanity headless vs WordPress multisite over 3 years
The platform choice changes total cost of ownership. The table below compares both approaches over a three-year horizon, hosting and maintenance included, for a medium-sized trilingual site.
| Criterion | Sanity (headless) | WordPress multisite |
|---|---|---|
| Initial cost | EUR 16,000 - 22,000 | EUR 12,000 - 18,000 |
| Hosting / year | EUR 1,400 - 2,400 | EUR 600 - 1,500 |
| Maintenance / month | EUR 500 - 900 | EUR 400 - 700 |
| i18n management | Native, structured | Plugins (WPML) |
| Security | Reduced surface | Frequent updates |
| 3-year total cost | EUR 40,000 - 55,000 | EUR 32,000 - 46,000 |
Sanity costs more upfront but reduces maintenance load and the security risks tied to extensions; WordPress stays relevant if the internal team already masters the ecosystem.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Mini case study
Helene, communications director of a cross-border organisation in Brussels, runs a site in FR, EN and NL with three validators per language. Her old WordPress site piled up 40 hours of manual corrections per month. Moving to a Sanity foundation at EUR 19,000 with a workflow, she cuts editorial effort to 12 hours/month. At a loaded cost of EUR 45/hour, the saving is 28 hours x 45 = EUR 1,260/month, i.e. EUR 15,120/year: the upfront premium is amortised in a little over a year.
FAQ
How much does each extra language cost? In 2026, budget around EUR 1,800 per language for the i18n structure, hreflang tags and editorial review, excluding the translation of the content itself.
Is WCAG 2.1 AA mandatory? For many public-sector-adjacent bodies and large companies, yes, and the audit + remediation represents about EUR 3,000. Non-compliance exposes you to penalties and reputational risk.
How long does the project take? A trilingual institutional site with governance requires 12 to 16 weeks, including 3 to 4 weeks just for content migration and structured translation.
What maintenance budget should we plan? Maintenance runs between EUR 400 and 900 per month depending on the pace of evolutions and the SLA level. Budget it from the start, not after go-live.
Do we need to redo SEO after the redesign? Yes: plan a redirect map and an SEO acceptance test to avoid losing existing traffic, a topic we detail in our dedicated migration article.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your target languages, the number of validators and your indicative budget, and we will frame the right CMS foundation. 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.
