The verdict in three sentences
A multilingual B2B site breaks down into a technical i18n base paid once and a recurring cost per language (translation, integration, maintenance). In 2026, budget 8,000-20,000 TND for the FR base, then 2,500-6,000 TND per additional language, with a 15-25% surcharge for Arabic (RTL). The real bill is not development but professional translation and maintenance multiplied by the number of locales.
Cost per additional language
The multilingual base (next-intl routing, per-locale content structure, language switcher, hreflang) is paid once. Each extra language adds translation, integration and QA.
| Item | FR (base) | EN additional | AR additional (RTL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| i18n development | 8,000-20,000 TND | included in base | included + RTL work |
| Professional translation (30-40 pages) | copy included | 2,000-4,500 TND | 2,500-5,500 TND |
| Integration + QA | included | 800-1,500 TND | 1,200-2,200 TND |
| RTL surcharge (bidi CSS, UI) | — | — | +15-25% of base |
| Total per language | 8,000-20,000 TND | 2,500-6,000 TND | 4,000-8,000 TND |
Translation is billed per word: 0.10 to 0.18 TND/word for specialized B2B professional translation. A 30-page site is 12,000-18,000 words, i.e. 1,500-3,200 TND of pure translation per language.
Cost by page volume
The larger the page catalog, the higher the per-language cost — linear on translation, marginal on the technical side.
| Volume | FR base | +EN | +AR (RTL) | Trilingual total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 pages | 8,000 TND | 2,500 TND | 4,000 TND | 14,500 TND |
| 30 pages | 14,000 TND | 4,000 TND | 6,000 TND | 24,000 TND |
| 50 pages | 20,000 TND | 6,000 TND | 8,000 TND | 34,000 TND |
| 80 pages | 28,000 TND | 9,000 TND | 12,000 TND | 49,000 TND |
i18n technique vs translation: where the money goes
| Item | Share of budget | Paid | Recurring |
|---|---|---|---|
| i18n architecture (next-intl, routing) | 20-30% | once | no |
| hreflang + per-locale sitemap | 5-10% | once | SEO updates |
| Professional translation | 30-45% | per language | on each new page |
| Content integration + linguistic QA | 15-20% | per language | yes |
| Maintenance (x number of languages) | — | — | 8-15%/yr of base |
hreflang and a per-locale sitemap are non-negotiable for international SEO: without them, Google serves the wrong language to the wrong market and dilutes ranking. Each locale needs its own URL (/fr/, /en/, /ar/) and reciprocal hreflang tags.
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Mini case study
Nizar, export director of an industrial SME in Tunis, sells food-processing equipment in Tunisia, France and the Gulf. He prices a 35-page FR/EN/AR site.
- FR base: 15,000 TND
- English: 4,500 TND (translation + integration)
- Arabic RTL: 7,000 TND (translation + 20% bidi surcharge)
- Build total: 26,500 TND, annual maintenance ~3,200 TND (3 languages)
Within the first quarter, the Arabic version brings him 4 quote requests from the Gulf on average 60,000 TND contracts. A single signature pays back the trilingual build entirely. ROI is not about the site cost but about opening an export market unreachable in French alone.
FAQ
Does a trilingual site cost three times a monolingual one? No. The technical base is paid once. The extra 2 languages add roughly 40-60% of the base, not 200%.
Why is Arabic more expensive? Right-to-left (RTL) reading requires adapting CSS, layout, icons and UI components, a 15-25% surcharge on development.
Can I use Google Translate to cut the bill? For an export B2B site, no: machine translation undermines brand credibility and hurts SEO. Professional translation (0.10-0.18 TND/word) is a commercial investment, not a technical cost.
Is hreflang really essential? Yes. Without hreflang and per-locale sitemaps, your international traffic can drop 20-40% because Google indexes language versions poorly.
How long to add a language later? On a well-built i18n base, 1-2 weeks per language: routing exists already, only translation and QA remain.
Let's scope your project. Give us your target languages, page count and export markets, and we price base + cost per language with or without RTL. 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.
