How much should I pay to design a website?

Pay for outcomes, not just pages. If the website is a brochure, you mainly need credibility and clarity. If the site must generate leads, you are paying for positioning, conversion UX, proof, and performance. Start by deciding what the site must do: rank for service keywords, convert paid traffic, book calls, or sell products. Then scope the minimum set of pages and features required to hit that goal. A good budget also includes ongoing costs: hosting, maintenance, and periodic improvements. If budget is tight, a phased build is often smarter than cutting corners everywhere.