The verdict in three sentences
A Toronto consultancy helping Canadian SMEs export to Europe, Africa or Latin America should budget 15,000 to 30,000 CAD for a 15-page site in English and French, with optional Spanish or Arabic. The French version is effectively mandatory to work with Quebec clients and public bodies, and under Quebec's Charter of the French Language (Bill 96) a business serving Quebec must offer its commercial content in French. Professional translation at 0.20 to 0.30 CAD per word often accounts for 15 to 20 % of the total budget.
2026 ranges in Toronto
A multilingual site is more than copies of one site. Each language targets a distinct audience: Ontario and international decision makers in English, Quebec SMEs and francophone Africa in French, and sometimes Latin American or Middle Eastern partners.
| Scope | Content | 2026 budget (excl. tax) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bilingual EN/FR | 15 pages, form, basic SEO | 15,000 to 22,000 CAD | 6 to 7 weeks |
| Trilingual EN/FR/ES or AR | 15 pages, hreflang, form per language, RTL if Arabic | 22,000 to 30,000 CAD | 8 weeks |
| Target market pages | EU, West Africa, Mexico, UAE (4 pages x 2-3 languages) | 4,000 to 7,000 CAD | + 2 weeks |
| Downloadable resources | Export guides, CUSMA and CETA fact sheets | 2,000 to 4,000 CAD | + 1 week |
| Online booking | Calendar, reminders, video calls | 1,500 to 3,000 CAD | + 1 week |
| Maintenance and hosting | Updates, backups, small changes | 150 to 350 CAD / month | Ongoing |
An agency offering 7,000 CAD for two languages usually adds a machine translation plugin to a standard theme. Quebec readers spot it immediately and Google indexes duplicate pages.
Translation, hreflang and compliance: where the budget goes
For 15 pages of 600 words, about 9,000 source words, translating into French and one more language covers 18,000 words.
| Item | Basis | Indicative cost (excl. tax) | Watch-out |
|---|---|---|---|
| EN to FR translation | 9,000 words at 0.20 to 0.28 CAD | 1,800 to 2,520 CAD | Canadian French, trade vocabulary |
| EN to ES or AR translation | 9,000 words at 0.22 to 0.30 CAD | 1,980 to 2,700 CAD | Native review |
| RTL integration (if Arabic) | Mirrored templates, Arabic typography | 2,000 to 3,500 CAD | Numbers, tables, forms |
| Hreflang SEO and URLs per language | /en, /fr, /es, multilingual sitemap | 1,000 to 2,000 CAD | Avoid duplicate content |
| Keyword research per language | 3 markets, 30 queries each | 1,200 to 2,200 CAD | Queries do not translate word for word |
| Privacy compliance | PIPEDA, Quebec Law 25, GDPR for EU leads | 1,000 to 2,000 CAD | Consent banner and forms |
Quebec's Law 25 tightens consent and privacy notice requirements, and GDPR applies to European prospects who fill in your forms.
How to choose your agency
Ask to see a bilingual site the agency has delivered, on mobile, with forms and tables in both languages. Require separate URLs per language, a CMS where each translation is updated independently and acceptance testing by a native speaker of each language.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Daniel, founder of a 9-consultant export firm in Toronto, supports about 30 Canadian SMEs a year with an average fee of 14,000 CAD. He chooses a trilingual site at 26,000 CAD plus 4 market pages (5,500 CAD), for 31,500 CAD, and maintenance at 250 CAD per month. If the site brings 3 extra engagements per year, or 42,000 CAD in fees, the project and first year of maintenance (34,500 CAD in total) are covered by the third engagement.
FAQ
How much does a bilingual EN/FR site cost in Toronto?
Budget 15,000 to 22,000 CAD for 15 pages with hreflang. A third language pushes the range to 22,000 to 30,000 CAD.
Can we use machine translation?
As a draft, yes, but professional post-editing remains essential at around 0.10 to 0.15 CAD per word. Raw machine translation hurts the credibility of a consultancy.
Is a French version legally required?
For businesses serving Quebec, Bill 96 requires commercial content to be available in French. For an Ontario-only audience it is not mandatory, but it opens Quebec and francophone Africa.
How long does it take?
Eight weeks for a trilingual 15-page site, including 2 to 3 weeks of translation. English content must be signed off before week 3.
Do we need one domain per language?
No, subfolders /en, /fr and /es on one domain concentrate SEO authority. Hreflang tags tell Google which version to show.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your languages, target markets and key services: we will price a multilingual site between 15,000 and 30,000 CAD with an 8-week schedule. 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.
