How much does simultaneous interpreting cost in 2026?

"How much does a simultaneous interpreter cost?" is usually the first question from anyone organizing a meeting or conference with Brazilian participants. The honest answer is "it depends" — but it depends on factors you can understand in five minutes. This guide gives real reference ranges for Portuguese interpreting, in US dollars for remote work and in Brazilian reais for on-site work in Brazil, explains what moves the price up or down, and shows how to spend less without sacrificing the one thing everyone remembers after an event: whether they understood each other.

The short answer: reference ranges

Professional simultaneous interpreting is priced per interpreter-day (a working day of up to six hours) or per half day, not by the loose hour. For Portuguese combined with English, Spanish or French, these are the ranges Maleval Translations works with for international clients:

In Brazil, the national translators' union (SINTRA) publishes a reference table with interpreting days starting at about R$ 2,900 per interpreter. These are references, not a price list: every event receives a written proposal based on the factors below.

What moves the price

• Format: on-site (booth and equipment, travel) or remote/RSI (no travel, no booth).
• Duration: half day, full day or several days.
• Number of interpreters: anything longer than about one hour requires two interpreters per language (see below).
• Language pair: English↔Portuguese is the most common; rarer combinations cost more.
• Subject complexity: a cardiology congress or an arbitration hearing requires preparation and a glossary — that preparation is part of the service, not an extra.
• Location: an interpreter based where the event takes place removes flights and hotels from the budget. For online events, a Brazil-based interpreter overlaps comfortably with business hours in the Americas and most of Europe.
• Recording and streaming: when the interpretation is recorded or broadcast, a rights fee applies, as is standard in the market.
• Platform management: if you need someone to set up the language channels on Zoom, Teams or KUDO, brief the other interpreters and run the technical rehearsal, that is a separate line (USD 150 per stand-alone session of up to 4 hours, USD 250 per full event day).

Why two interpreters, and why not "by the hour"

Simultaneous interpreting is one of the most demanding cognitive tasks there is. For any session longer than about an hour, professional practice is two interpreters in the booth, alternating every 20–30 minutes. That is not a luxury: it is what keeps accuracy constant from the first minute to the last. It is also why the unit of pricing is the day or the half day. A loose hour, when it exists at all, is proportionally more expensive, because the preparation and the reserved schedule are the same.

How to spend less without losing quality

• Go remote (RSI): platforms such as KUDO and Interprefy deliver booth-grade interpretation with no flights, hotels or physical booth. For hybrid and online events it is usually the most economical option, and the interpreter can be anywhere.
• Hire locally for on-site work: for events in Brazil, an interpreter based in the host city removes travel from the spreadsheet. Maleval Translations works on-site from Brasília and Natal.
• Book early: a reserved schedule avoids the cost, and the risk, of a last-minute search.
• Send materials in advance: the earlier the interpreter receives the agenda and slides, the better the preparation and the fewer surprises on the day.
• Consolidate billing: for recurring work, one monthly invoice instead of one per session cuts bank fees on both sides.

And document translation?

Written translation is a different calculation: it is priced per word, not per day. For technical, legal and corporate translation between English and Portuguese, the reference is USD 0.11 – 0.13 per word, varying with complexity and language pair; rarer pairs are quoted per project. Translation is delivered by Maleval's in-house team of native translators in Portuguese, English, Spanish and French; other language pairs are available on request, under the direct supervision of Maleval Translations. For companies with a monthly volume, a plan is cheaper than requesting a quote for every document.

When a monthly plan pays off

If your organization holds board meetings, negotiations, training sessions or events with Brazilian participants regularly, booking one-off every time costs more — in money and in the time spent re-explaining your context to a new supplier. Monthly plans give international teams a dedicated senior interpreter and translator, scheduling priority and consistent terminology for a predictable amount. Plans for international teams start at USD 650 per month and are quoted in USD or EUR after a short scoping call; invoices in USD or EUR, by international wire, Wise or PayPal, Net 30 or Net 45 by agreement.