Childcare Cost Calculator
Childcare is many families' biggest bill after housing, and the quotes all come in different units. Enter your local numbers once and compare daycare, nanny, and after-school care apples to apples, monthly and yearly.
Your situation
Daycare (center or home)
Nanny
After-school program
Get real quotes: call two centers, ask two parent friends about nanny rates, and check your school district's program. Local numbers beat national averages every time.
Monthly cost comparison
Annual cost comparison
| Option | Monthly | Annual | Per child / mo |
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Why the units matter
Daycares quote per child per month. Nannies quote per week for the whole crew. After-school programs quote per child per month but only cover the school year. Put side by side, the ranking often surprises people: a nanny looks expensive until you divide by two or three kids, and after-school looks cheap until you add summer coverage.
The real math families miss
Nanny taxes and backup care. A nanny's sticker rate is not the full cost: employer taxes add roughly 10%, and you still need a backup plan for sick days and vacations. Daycare closures. Centers close for holidays and training days; budget a few backup-care days a year. After-school gaps. School dismisses at 3, work ends at 5, and summer is ten weeks long: price the full year, not the school year.
Ways to bring the number down
Nanny-share. Two families split one nanny; each typically pays 60 to 75% of a solo rate. Dependent Care FSA. Up to $7,500/year pre-tax per household for qualifying care (raised from $5,000 for 2026; confirm your employer adopted the new limit): at a 22% marginal rate that is $1,650 back. Shift staggering. If parents can cover opposite shifts, even part-time, every uncovered hour you eliminate is money saved. Family daycare homes. Licensed home providers often charge 20 to 40% less than centers with smaller groups.
Frequently asked questions
How much does daycare cost per month on average?
US averages run roughly $900 to $1,400 per month per child for center-based daycare, with wide regional swings: major coastal cities often exceed $2,000, while many Midwest and Southern markets sit well under $1,000. Enter your local quotes above for numbers that reflect your market.
Is a nanny cheaper than daycare?
Rarely for one child, sometimes for two or more. A nanny's weekly rate is split across all your kids, while daycare charges per child. The crossover usually happens around two to three children, depending on your market.
What is the cheapest childcare option?
Family help is cheapest when available and healthy for everyone involved. Among paid options, after-school programs (for school-age kids) and family daycare homes usually undercut centers, and nanny-shares split a nanny's rate between two families.
Can I pay for childcare with pre-tax dollars?
Often yes. A Dependent Care FSA lets you set aside up to $7,500 per household per year pre-tax for qualifying care (raised from $5,000 for 2026; confirm your employer adopted the new limit), and the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit can help at tax time. Both have eligibility rules, so check the current IRS guidance or ask a tax professional.