Find a calculator ↗Translation Project Cost Calculator
Estimate a translation project budget using source words, target languages, translation rates, and review costs. Add fixed and project-management charges on a clear cost basis.
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What is this translation project cost calculator?
A translation project cost calculator combines source-word charges across target languages with review, fixed work, and project management. It helps content and operations teams build a budget with visible assumptions instead of comparing quotes by an unexplained total.
How to use the calculator
Count source words and target languages. Enter translation and separate review prices per source word for each language. Add fixed work such as formatting, then enter any project-management percentage charged on that subtotal. Calculate language groups separately when their rates differ.
Check the input assumptions
Review the help text beneath each field before calculating. Enter amounts in US dollars where shown and use consistent units. Change one assumption at a time to understand which inputs affect your result.
Formula and worked example
Example calculation
Twelve thousand source words into three languages create 36,000 source-word language units. Translation at $0.12 costs $4,320 and review at $0.03 costs $1,080. Add $300 fixed work for a $5,700 subtotal. A 10% management charge adds $570, giving a $6,270 budget.
These numbers illustrate the calculation; they are not recommended rates or industry benchmarks.
How to interpret your result
Compare scope as well as price: review, terminology preparation, layout checks, and revision rounds may differ between quotes. The cost per language is an allocation of shared project charges, not necessarily the invoice amount for each language.
What the estimate leaves out
The model assumes all target languages use the same rates and source-word count. It does not determine language quality, supplier suitability, certification requirements, or the cost of complex design and software integration. Example prices are illustrative, not market benchmarks.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use source or translated word count?
This tool uses source words. If your supplier prices target words, obtain a comparable source-word quote or build a separate estimate using that supplier basis.
What if review is included in the translation rate?
Enter zero in the separate review field. Otherwise the same service would be charged twice in the estimate.
Can rates differ by language?
Yes in practice, but this form uses one common rate. Run separate scenarios for language groups and allocate shared fixed costs only once.
Where do minimum fees belong?
For a small job, use a fixed-charge approach that reflects the quote instead of adding a minimum fee on top of the same per-word charge. Confirm how the supplier applies its minimum.
Does the estimate include formatting or localization testing?
Only if you include those charges. Identify desktop publishing, interface testing, image edits, and other non-translation work explicitly when comparing budgets.
Related tools and categories
Translation Turnaround Time Calculator
Estimate working days for a translation and review project. Model a translation phase followed by review, with separate daily capacities and a final delivery allowance.
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