The verdict in three sentences
Migrating your site to an EU sovereign host (OVH, Scaleway) costs between 3,500 and 12,000 EUR (net) over 2 to 4 weeks, depending on infrastructure complexity. The benefits are threefold: stronger GDPR compliance (data outside non-European jurisdiction), lower latency for European visitors, and simpler managed operations. Done well, the cutover happens with zero downtime thanks to a progressive DNS switch.
Hosting cost compared: US vs EU
Beyond the one-off migration, the recurring cost changes too. Here is the 2026 order of magnitude for a mid-cap.
| Item | US cloud | EU sovereign (OVH/Scaleway) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly hosting | 250 - 700 EUR | 180 - 500 EUR |
| Egress fees | 0.08 - 0.12 EUR/GB | 0.01 EUR/GB or included |
| GDPR compliance | Contractual clauses required | Native |
| EU visitor latency | 40 - 90 ms | 10 - 30 ms |
| Local-language support | Rare | Included |
| Data location | Outside EU possible | EU guaranteed |
Data egress fees are often the hidden item inflating US cloud bills; sovereign hosts sharply reduce or include them.
The migration cost and plan
The migration itself breaks into short workstreams. Here is the 2026 order of magnitude.
| Workstream | Scope | 2026 cost (EUR net) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infra & data audit | Mapping, dependencies, data volume | 800 - 2,500 | 2 - 4 d |
| EU provisioning | Servers, network, SSL certificates | 700 - 2,500 | 3 - 5 d |
| Data & media migration | Transfer, integrity checks | 1,000 - 3,500 | 3 - 7 d |
| Zero-downtime DNS switch | Lowered TTL, progressive cutover | 500 - 1,500 | 1 - 3 d |
| QA & monitoring | Testing, supervision, rollback plan | 500 - 2,000 | 2 - 4 d |
| Total | Full project | 3,500 - 12,000 | 2 - 4 wks |
The zero-downtime DNS switch relies on lowering the TTL 48 h beforehand, then cutting over progressively: that is the key to avoiding any service interruption.
Mini case study
Celine, CFO of an industrial mid-cap in Lyon, hosts her site and extranet on a US cloud. Her IT team flags a GDPR compliance risk and egress fees of 420 EUR/month. She invests 8,500 EUR (net) in a migration to Scaleway over three weeks. Monthly hosting drops from 560 EUR to 340 EUR, and egress fees fall to almost zero, a combined saving of 640 EUR/month, or 7,680 EUR/year. The migration pays back in a little over thirteen months, and the compliance risk disappears immediately. Latency for her European clients drops from 70 ms to 18 ms.
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FAQ
Does the migration cause a service outage?
No, if done well. You lower the DNS TTL 48 h beforehand, then switch traffic progressively; the perceived interruption is zero for visitors.
Is sovereign hosting really more GDPR-compliant?
Yes, because data stays physically and legally within the EU, without relying on contractual clauses to cover a transfer outside European jurisdiction.
Will I gain performance?
Yes for a European audience: latency typically drops from 40-90 ms to 10-30 ms, improving response time and user experience.
How much does managed operations cost afterwards?
Expect 300 to 1,200 EUR (net)/month depending on criticality, including supervision, backups, security updates and a recovery plan.
Do egress fees really make a difference?
Yes for high-traffic or media-rich sites: at 0.10 EUR/GB, 5 TB/month of egress costs 500 EUR, often cut to near zero with a sovereign host.
Let's scope your project. Send us your current infrastructure, data volume and compliance requirements, and we'll price your migration to EU sovereign hosting. 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.
