Cost to Translate 50,000 Words with LLM APIs

Translation is approximately 1:1 in token terms — 1,000 words ≈ 1,500 tokens input (source text) and 1,500 tokens output (translated text). The input/output ratio is roughly 50/50. Token counts vary by language — non-Latin scripts may use more tokens per word. The quantity is measured in thousands of words for convenience.

Formula: cost = (input_tokens × input_price_per_Mtok + output_tokens × output_price_per_Mtok) × quantity / 1,000,000

All prices are per million tokens, sourced directly from official provider pricing pages. No fabricated numbers — every model in the table links to its detail page, which cites the official pricing source.

How much does it cost to translate 50,000 words with an LLM?

It depends on the model, but LLM translation is dramatically cheaper than professional human translation — typically a few cents per thousand words via API versus tens of dollars per thousand words for human translators. Translation is roughly 50/50 input/output, so blended price is the best comparison; the calculator above computes the exact current cost for every model, cheapest-first, from live per-million-token pricing.

Which LLM API is cheapest for translation?

The cheapest option is whichever model tops the cost table above (sorted cheapest-first). For translation quality and nuance, higher-tier models often handle context and idiom better at a higher price — compare exact per-model cost in the calculator.

How are translation token costs calculated?

1,000 words ≈ 1,500 input tokens + 1,500 output tokens (translation is ~1:1). Total cost = (input_tokens × input_price + output_tokens × output_price) × thousands_of_words. Prices are per million tokens from verified provider pricing.