Game Localization Cost Calculator
Game localization costs about $0.07 to $0.30 per source word for each target language on the price lists game localization vendors publish, for translation plus a second linguist's review. As of 24 September 2026, Allcorrect Games lists €0.09–€0.17 a word for most languages (about $0.10–$0.19), and OneSky lists $0.25 for French, German, Spanish or Chinese game text and $0.30 for Japanese, Korean, Polish and the Nordic languages. French, Italian, German and Spanish run $0.11–$0.25 a word, so 50,000 words into those four languages costs about $22,800–$50,000 before testing. Linguistic QA is billed on top by the hour, at $30–$60 per tester hour in Transphere's guide.
These are third-party market figures: prices localization vendors publish, not measurements by this directory and not quotes from studios listed here.
Target languages
$22,800–$50,000
50,000 words into 4 languages, translation and review only
- Translation + review
- $22,800–$50,000
| Language | Per word | Total |
|---|---|---|
| French | $0.11–$0.25 | $5,710–$12,500 |
| Italian | $0.11–$0.25 | $5,710–$12,500 |
| German | $0.11–$0.25 | $5,710–$12,500 |
| Spanish (Spain) | $0.11–$0.25 | $5,710–$12,500 |
Low end: the cheaper of two game localization price lists; high end: the dearer. Excludes voice-over, localization engineering, minimum fees and repetition discounts. Not a quote, and not measured by this directory; see how it is built below.
How the estimate is built
For each language the calculator takes the lowest and highest per-word price that two game localization price lists publish for it: OneSky's list with the Games subject selected (one translator plus one reviewer) and Allcorrect Games' per-word rates, which cover translation and a second linguist's check. A language is offered only if both lists price it, so every range spans two vendors. Allcorrect's euro prices are converted at the European Central Bank reference rate of 1.1411 dollars per euro (2026-09-23).
Words times the per-word range gives the translation cost for each language. If you include LQA, the tester hours you enter are multiplied by an hourly range that runs from Transphere's $30–$60 band, widened where Allcorrect's rate for that language falls outside it. As a cross-check, Transphere's guide puts typical game translation at $0.12–$0.18 per word, which overlaps every range below.
Left out on purpose, because no source prices them in a way that can be multiplied:
- Voice-over, which is priced per recorded line or minute plus studio, direction and editing, not per word.
- Localization engineering: externalizing strings, fonts, and UI that grows by a third in German.
- Minimum order fees and discounts for repeated strings. Allcorrect translates repetitions free, so a count without repetitions is closer to what you pay.
- Transcreation of marketing copy, which vendors quote case by case.
Per-language rates
As published, in each source's currency, with the range the calculator uses. The Alconost column is an all-content average for comparison and is not used in the range.
| Language | OneSky, games (USD) | Allcorrect (EUR) | Range used (USD) | LQA / hour (USD) | Alconost avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIGS (French, Italian, German, Spanish) | |||||
| French | $0.25 | €0.10–€0.14 | $0.11–$0.25 | $30–$60 | $0.10 |
| Italian | $0.25 | €0.10–€0.14 | $0.11–$0.25 | $30–$60 | $0.08 |
| German | $0.25 | €0.10–€0.14 | $0.11–$0.25 | $30–$60 | $0.11 |
| Spanish (Spain) | $0.25 | €0.10–€0.14 | $0.11–$0.25 | $30–$60 | $0.08 |
| Latin American Spanish and Portuguese | |||||
| Spanish (Latin America) | $0.25 | €0.09–€0.14 | $0.10–$0.25 | $30–$60 | — |
| Portuguese (Brazil) | $0.25 | €0.09–€0.14 | $0.10–$0.25 | $30–$60 | $0.08 |
| Portuguese (Portugal) | $0.25 | €0.10–€0.14 | $0.11–$0.25 | $30–$60 | — |
| CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) | |||||
| Japanese | $0.30 | €0.10–€0.14 | $0.11–$0.30 | $30–$60 | $0.14 |
| Korean | $0.30 | €0.09–€0.14 | $0.10–$0.30 | $30–$60 | $0.10 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | $0.25 | €0.09–€0.12 | $0.10–$0.25 | $30–$60 | $0.10 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | $0.25 | €0.09–€0.14 | $0.10–$0.25 | $30–$60 | — |
| Nordic and Dutch | |||||
| Dutch | $0.30 | €0.10–€0.17 | $0.11–$0.30 | $30–$60 | $0.11 |
| Swedish | $0.30 | €0.10–€0.17 | $0.11–$0.30 | $30–$60 | $0.12 |
| Danish | $0.30 | €0.10–€0.17 | $0.11–$0.30 | $30–$60 | $0.14 |
| Finnish | $0.30 | €0.10–€0.17 | $0.11–$0.30 | $30–$60 | $0.14 |
| Norwegian | $0.30 | €0.10–€0.17 | $0.11–$0.30 | $30–$60 | — |
| Central and Eastern Europe, Greece and Turkey | |||||
| Russian | $0.25 | €0.06–€0.09 | $0.07–$0.25 | $30–$60 | $0.07 |
| Polish | $0.30 | €0.10–€0.14 | $0.11–$0.30 | $30–$60 | $0.08 |
| Czech | $0.30 | €0.10–€0.14 | $0.11–$0.30 | $30–$60 | — |
| Hungarian | $0.30 | €0.10–€0.14 | $0.11–$0.30 | $30–$60 | — |
| Romanian | $0.25 | €0.10–€0.14 | $0.11–$0.25 | $30–$60 | — |
| Greek | $0.25 | €0.10–€0.14 | $0.11–$0.25 | $30–$60 | — |
| Turkish | $0.25 | €0.09–€0.12 | $0.10–$0.25 | $30–$60 | $0.09 |
| Middle East, South and Southeast Asia | |||||
| Arabic | $0.25 | €0.09–€0.12, €0.14–€0.16 | $0.10–$0.25 | $30–$60 | $0.09 |
| Hebrew | $0.25 | €0.10–€0.17 | $0.11–$0.25 | $30–$60 | — |
| Hindi | $0.25 | €0.12–€0.13 | $0.14–$0.25 | $30–$60 | — |
| Indonesian | $0.22 | €0.09–€0.12 | $0.10–$0.22 | $30–$60 | — |
| Vietnamese | $0.25 | €0.09–€0.12 | $0.10–$0.25 | $30–$60 | $0.09 |
| Malay | $0.25 | €0.12–€0.13 | $0.14–$0.25 | $30–$60 | — |
Sources
Third-party market figures, each read on the date shown. They are what vendors publish, not what any buyer was measured paying, and nothing on this page comes from a studio listed in this directory.
- OneSkyUsed in the ranges
Public per-word price list for human translation from English, "Games" subject selected; the figure used is one translator plus one reviewer (the full list opens from "View Full Price List"). Read 2026-09-24. A vendor list price, not a market survey. OneSky also lists a cheaper translator-only price and a "General" subject; neither is used here. No minimum order.
- Allcorrect GamesUsed in the ranges
Published per-word rates from English by language group and hourly LQA rates by language, in euros; the page describes translation by a native speaker followed by quality control by a second linguist. Read 2026-09-24. A vendor list price in EUR, converted to USD here at the ECB reference rate. Allcorrect says repetitions are translated free and that exact quotes depend on the text.
Average per-word rates for professional human translation across 3,200+ projects Alconost delivered between 2020 and 2026, 18 languages. Published 2026-04-17. Read 2026-09-24. Averages over every content type Alconost translates (software, marketing, games and more), described by Alconost as rough averages. Shown for comparison only; not used in the calculator ranges.
- TransphereUsed in the ranges
Game localization cost guide: translation "typically $0.12–$0.18" per word and LQA "around $30–$60 per hour for professional testers". Published 2026-01-20. Read 2026-09-24. A vendor guide giving one band for all languages rather than a per-language price list. Used here only for the LQA hourly band; its per-word band is quoted as a cross-check.
- European Central BankCurrency conversion
Euro foreign exchange reference rate, US dollar, 23 September 2026. Read 2026-09-24. Used only to convert Allcorrect’s euro prices to dollars. Exchange rates move daily.
Find a localization studio
Localization vendors quote from your actual strings, so send the word count, the languages and a sample of the text to two or three of them. The game localization companies list shows the companies in this directory that offer translation, LQA and voice recording, and the game localization services page explains how to prepare a build before you send it. For budgeting beyond the words, the game localization cost guide works a full project through, and the rate benchmark covers the other disciplines.
Frequently asked questions
On published game localization price lists, French, Italian, German and Spanish each cost $0.11–$0.25 per source word with a second linguist's review, so 50,000 words into all four comes to about $22,800–$50,000 (Allcorrect Games and OneSky list prices, read 24 September 2026). LQA, voice-over and localization engineering are extra.
On the two price lists used here, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Polish, Czech and Hungarian reach $0.30 a word with review on OneSky's games list, and Allcorrect prices Dutch, the Nordic languages and Hebrew up to €0.17. Russian is the cheapest at $0.07–$0.25 a word. Alconost, averaging all content types over 3,200+ projects, reports the same pattern: Nordic and CJK languages "tend to be at the higher end", while Russian, Brazilian Portuguese and Turkish "are more affordable".
No. Voice-over is priced per recorded line or per minute of audio plus studio time, direction and editing, not per word, and none of the sources publishes a per-line range that could be multiplied out honestly. Budget it separately from a quote.
Suggested citation
Game Dev Outsourcing, “Game Localization Cost Calculator”, https://www.gamedevoutsourcing.com/tools/localization-cost-calculator.
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