How Much Does Simultaneous Interpretation Cost in Brazil?

What determines the price of simultaneous interpretation

There is no single price list, because each event has a different combination of factors. The main ones are: the language pair and how rare the language is; the format, remote or in person; the duration of the event and whether it requires a pair of interpreters; the technical complexity of the subject and the preparation time; the equipment and audience size; the city and travel logistics; and how far in advance the request is made.

In general, remote interpretation costs less than in-person, because there is no freight, booth, receivers or on-site operator. Events with many languages, parallel rooms or a large number of receivers, on the other hand, require a larger team, and the quote reflects that in itemized form.

Items that usually make up an in-person quote

• Interpreter fees, per language and per period, taking rotation into account at long events.
• Equipment: receivers, transmitter, distribution rack and booth, depending on the size of the event.
• Technical operator during setup, testing and the entire program.
• Round-trip freight when the event is outside Greater São Paulo.
• Team travel and lodging, when applicable.
• Glossary preparation from the event materials, which lingo does not charge separately.

lingo presents each item separately, and the quote amount is the final invoice amount, with no items added after confirmation.

How to reduce cost without losing quality

Some decisions help keep the budget under control. Choosing the remote format whenever the event allows eliminates freight and equipment. Concentrating the segments that need interpretation into defined blocks, rather than spreading them over several days, reduces the number of hours contracted. Sending the preparation material in advance avoids extra research hours. And, for structured, lower-risk events such as training and scripted presentations, AI interpretation costs 30% to 60% less than human interpretation, with a backup human interpreter option.

On the other hand, it is not advisable to cut corners on interpretation for negotiations, boards, due diligence and arbitration. In those cases, an interpretation error can cost far more than the difference in budget.

Comparing proposals from different providers

When comparing quotes, check that all of them include the same scope: number of interpreters, preparation time, equipment, technical operator, freight and invoice. Also verify who the interpreter will actually be, whether there is proven experience in the sector, and how confidentiality is handled. Proposals that look cheaper often leave out items that will be charged later, or deliver a service that does not cover the whole event.

To request a complete proposal, provide the date, language pair, format, number of participants and duration. lingo returns the quote in 60 seconds, fully itemized and with no hidden items.

Payment, invoice and recurrence

Lingo Qi Interpretações LTDA issues an electronic invoice to all corporate clients and accepts payment by TED, PIX or international transfer in reais. For monthly or quarterly engagements, there are specific recurrence terms, negotiated over WhatsApp, which take into account calendar predictability and accumulated glossary.

Examples of scenarios and how the quote changes

A two-hour board meeting, in remote format with one target language, has the simplest composition: interpreters, technical monitoring and platform setup. A one-day in-person congress with 300 attendees and two languages adds booths, receivers, a transmitter, an operator and freight, plus a team of interpreters for each language. A hybrid event combines the two, with the same team of interpreters serving the room and the platform.

These examples are qualitative: actual figures depend on date, city, languages and duration. That is why lingo does not publish a fixed price list and prefers to respond with a detailed proposal for your case.

When the lowest price turns out more expensive

Hiring on the lowest price alone can create hidden costs. An interpreter without subject preparation needs constant clarification and prolongs the meeting. Equipment without a technical operator causes failures that interrupt the event. A system without backup forces the session to be redone. In negotiations and board meetings, an interpretation error can harm the decision taken. That is why the recommendation is to compare scope, experience and guarantees before comparing price.

For lower-risk events, such as training, there are more economical alternatives, such as AI interpretation with human backup.

Frequently asked questions about pricing

Does lingo charge by the hour or by the event? The quote considers the contracted period and, when the event is long, the need for a pair of interpreters. Is there a travel cost? Within Greater São Paulo, freight is already included when there is equipment; outside it, it is itemized. Is glossary preparation charged separately? No, it is part of the service. Can I pay by PIX? Yes, as well as by TED or international transfer in reais.

If your question is not here, send a message on WhatsApp and the team will reply with figures for your specific case.

AI interpretation and captioning: more economical alternatives

For lower-risk events, AI interpretation costs 30% to 60% less than human interpretation, with a backup human interpreter option. AI simultaneous captioning costs 30% to 50% less than captioning by a human captioner. These alternatives work well for training, webinars and internal meetings, and the AI and captioning FAQ pages detail when each is recommended.

Questions to ask before approving a quote

Before approving a proposal, check that the document makes clear what is included: the number of interpreters, the duration covered, the equipment, the technical operator, transport and setup. Also ask whether there are costs that depend on later decisions, such as overtime, and whether the amount presented is already the total to pay. At lingo, the quote amount is the final invoice amount.

Also ask for the validity date of the quote, the payment method and the deadline to confirm the event date. If the meeting has confidential content, ask how the supplier handles documents before the event: lingo signs an NDA, valid for 5 years, before receiving any material. With these answers in hand, comparing proposals from different suppliers becomes much simpler. For a local example, see the page on how much simultaneous interpretation costs in SP.