The verdict in three sentences
For a strategy consulting firm in Montreal working with Spain and Latin America, a trilingual English, French and Spanish website costs between 13,000 and 22,000 CAD excluding taxes in 2026 (about 9,000 to 15,000 EUR), translation not included. Translation then adds 0.15 to 0.22 CAD per word professionally or 0.06 CAD per word for AI reviewed by a native speaker, so 1,800 to 6,600 CAD for a site of 15,000 words per target language. Built properly, with hreflang and one URL per language, it can triple qualified leads from outside Quebec within 12 months.
What a 13,000 or 22,000 CAD trilingual site includes
The extra cost of a multilingual site does not come from layout but from architecture: each language needs its own indexable URLs, tags, metadata and content genuinely adapted to the market, not a pasted translation.
| Item | 13,000 CAD version | 22,000 CAD version |
|---|---|---|
| Pages per language | 10 to 12 | 18 to 25 (expertise, sectors, case studies) |
| URL architecture | Subfolders /en /fr /es | Subfolders + translated slugs per language |
| Hreflang and sitemap | Hreflang tags, x-default, sitemap per language | Same + automated pair checks |
| Adapted content | Translation of existing pages | Spain and LATAM case studies, vocabulary per country |
| CMS | Language management, simple workflow | Translation workflow, status per language |
| Forms | One form, routing by language | Qualifying forms, routing by partner and country |
| Timeline | 5 to 7 weeks | 8 to 11 weeks |
Maintenance runs at about 150 CAD per month: hosting, updates, backups and up to an hour of changes. Add 2,200 to 4,400 CAD for a trilingual blog active from launch. In Quebec, remember that Bill 96 requires French content to be at least as prominent as other languages.
Translation: professional, reviewed AI or in-house
| Option | 2026 price per word | Cost for 15,000 words per language (FR + ES) | Quality for a consulting firm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Translator specialised in consulting and finance | 0.19 to 0.22 CAD | 5,700 to 6,600 CAD | Excellent, terminology mastered |
| General translation agency | 0.15 to 0.18 CAD | 4,500 to 5,400 CAD | Good, internal review needed |
| AI + native speaker review | 0.06 CAD | 1,800 CAD | Good if the reviewer knows the field |
| Raw AI without review | Near zero | Under 150 CAD | Risky: wrong phrasing, damaged credibility |
| In-house translation by a consultant | Unbilled time | 25 to 40 hours | Variable, often delayed by client work |
For a firm selling expertise, the most cost-effective option is often hybrid: reviewed AI for service pages, a specialised translator for case studies and the homepage, which carry the brand. Watch the Spanish: a Mexican or Colombian reader quickly spots overly Castilian vocabulary.
Hreflang and URLs: the mistakes that cost leads
The three most frequent errors on consulting firms' multilingual sites are language detected by cookie with no distinct URL (Google sees only one version), non-reciprocal hreflang tags (the EN page points to FR but not the reverse) and no x-default. Fixing them later costs 1,200 to 3,000 CAD and months of reindexing. Also aim for green Core Web Vitals on mobile: prospects in Bogotá or Mexico City often browse from a smartphone between meetings.
Mini case study
Catherine, partner at an 8-consultant strategy firm in Montreal, currently receives 4 qualified enquiries per month, only one from outside Canada. She invests 19,500 CAD in a trilingual site, 4,000 CAD of hybrid translation and 1,800 CAD of annual maintenance, or 25,300 CAD in year one. If international leads rise from 1 to 3 per month, she gains 24 extra leads a year. At a 15 % conversion rate and an average engagement of 26,000 CAD, that means 3 to 4 engagements and 78,000 to 104,000 CAD of additional revenue, with the investment paid back by the first signed engagement.
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FAQ
Do we need a domain per country (.es, .mx)?
For a firm this size, no: /es subfolders on the main domain concentrate SEO authority. A country domain only makes sense with a local office and a budget of 4,500 to 7,500 CAD per country.
How many words does a consulting site contain?
A site of 18 to 25 pages typically holds 10,000 to 18,000 words per language. Case studies often make up 40 % of the volume.
Can we launch in EN and FR, then add Spanish?
Yes, if the architecture plans for an extra language from day one. Adding it later then costs 2,200 to 4,400 CAD plus translation, versus double if everything must be rebuilt.
How long before leads arrive from Spain and Latin America?
Allow 3 to 6 months for indexing and first Spanish rankings, faster if you push the site on LinkedIn to your Spanish-speaking network.
Is 150 CAD a month of maintenance enough?
For a trilingual brochure site, yes. It does not cover translating new content, which is budgeted per word.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your languages, target markets and page count, and we will price a trilingual site between 13,000 and 22,000 CAD, delivered in 5 to 11 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.
