Baby cost calculator.

Year-one baby costs in Canada

The average Canadian family spends $6,000–$15,000 in the first year before childcare. With childcare, total cost can exceed $25,000.

Canada Child Benefit (CCB)

• Up to $8,157/year per child under 6 (July 2026–June 2027 benefit year).
• Reductions begin at family net income above $38,237.
• Tax-free, paid monthly.

Maternity & Parental EI

• Standard: 15 weeks maternity + 35 weeks parental at 55% (max $729/week).
• Extended: 15 weeks + 61 weeks at 33% (max $437/week).
• Quebec uses the QPIP program with higher replacement rates.

How this baby cost calculator works

The calculator adds up a first-year budget from ten editable expense lines, then estimates three kinds of government support and subtracts them. The expense lines are nursery furniture, car seat and stroller, clothing, diapers and wipes, formula, baby food after six months, medical and health, childcare, toys and books, and an “other” line. The defaults are planning assumptions, not government statistics: $2,000 for the nursery, $800 for the car seat and stroller, $600 for clothing, $1,200 for diapers, $600 for baby food, $300 for medical, $300 for toys and $500 for other. With breastfeeding selected and no childcare, that comes to $6,300 a year, or $525 a month. Choose formula and the formula line becomes $2,400. Choose childcare and the tool fills in $15,000 for licensed daycare, $24,000 for a nanny or $12,000 for home daycare, which you can overwrite with a real quote.

The Canada Child Benefit estimate, step by step

The tool applies the Canada Child Benefit with the thresholds on this page: a maximum of $8,157 a year per child under 6, full benefit below $38,237 of family net income, and reductions above that, with a second threshold at $82,847. Those figures match the Canada Revenue Agency’s page for the July 2026 to June 2027 payment period. The reduction rate depends on how many children you have, and these are the rates the tool applies (check them against the CRA page for your year):

Worked example, one child, $60,000 family income. Start at $8,157. Income above the first threshold is $60,000 − $38,237 = $21,763. At 7% that removes $1,523.41, leaving $6,633.59 a year, or about $553 a month. At $100,000 the first band removes the full ($82,847 − $38,237) × 7% = $3,122.70 and the second removes ($100,000 − $82,847) × 3.2% = $548.90, leaving $4,485.40 a year. The CCB is not taxable, according to the CRA.

Two simplifications matter. The tool counts every existing child at the under-6 maximum, so if your older children are 6 to 17 the real maximum for them is lower (the CRA lists $6,883 a year for that age group). And it does not include supplements such as the child disability benefit. For an exact figure use the CRA’s own calculator or our Canada Child Benefit calculator.

The maternity and parental EI estimate

Service Canada states that you could receive 55% of your earnings up to a maximum of $729 a week for maternity benefits (15 weeks) and standard parental benefits (up to 35 weeks for one parent, 40 weeks if shared), or 33% up to $437 a week on the extended parental option (up to 61 weeks for one parent, 69 shared). This tool uses the standard option for 15 + 35 = 50 weeks and assumes one parent earns half of the family income you enter. At $100,000 of family income that is $50,000 a year, or $961.54 a week; 55% is $528.85 a week, giving $7,933 for maternity and $18,510 for parental, $26,442 in total. The weekly cap of $729 only binds when the claimant’s weekly earnings reach roughly $1,325, which this tool reaches at about $138,000 of family income.

Real entitlement depends on your own insured earnings and hours, your employer’s top-up, whether you choose standard or extended parental benefits, and how the weeks are shared between parents. Quebec residents receive these benefits through the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan rather than federal EI, and this tool does not model that plan.

Reading the net cost correctly

Take the defaults: $6,300 of expenses against $4,485 of CCB and $26,442 of EI gives total benefits of about $30,927 and a “net first-year cost” of about −$24,627. A negative number does not mean a baby makes money. EI is income replacement for the pay you are not earning during leave, and the calculator does not subtract the lost salary. Compare EI to your usual pay, not to the shopping list. A more honest question is how much your household income drops while you are on leave and whether the CCB plus the leave payments cover your fixed bills. For that, look at the monthly CCB and your own EI weekly amount rather than the net-cost headline.

The provincial lines are rough: the tool uses simple formulas for an Ontario childcare credit estimate, a Quebec family allowance estimate, a BC family benefit estimate and an Alberta child benefit estimate. They are marked “est.” for that reason, and you should check the current provincial program before relying on them.

Costs the calculator leaves out

• Lost income beyond EI. EI pays at most 55% of earnings, so a household that depends on the full pay will feel a gap.
• Housing changes. A larger place, a move or renovation is not included. See the diaper cost calculator and baby formula cost calculator for two of the biggest recurring lines, and the childcare cost per hour calculator if you will pay for care.
• Hospital and birth extras. The calculator assumes the birth itself is covered by provincial health insurance. Private rooms, parking and some supplies can cost extra.
• Later years. This is a year-one budget. Costs after year one, including childcare, can be larger than the first year.

The calculator is a planning aid. Government amounts change each year, so confirm current figures on the CRA and Service Canada pages listed below before you make a decision.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to have a baby in Canada?

The birth itself is usually covered for residents by provincial health insurance, so most costs are gear, diapers, food, health items and childcare. This calculator's defaults add up to $6,300 for the first year without childcare and formula. Published estimates vary widely because they count different things, so edit each line to match your plans.

What is the typical yearly cost of having a baby?

It depends on whether you include childcare and lost income. With the default lines the first year comes to $6,300 plus $15,000 if you add licensed daycare. Formula adds $2,400 in the tool's defaults. Treat these as planning assumptions rather than official statistics.

How much is the Canada Child Benefit for a baby?

For July 2026 to June 2027 the maximum is $8,157 a year ($679.75 a month) for a child under 6, with the full amount paid when family net income is below $38,237. The amount is reduced as income rises, and the CCB is not taxable according to the CRA.

How much will I get from maternity and parental EI?

Service Canada says you could receive 55% of your earnings up to $729 a week for maternity and standard parental benefits, or 33% up to $437 a week for extended parental benefits. The calculator uses the standard option and 15 + 35 weeks, assuming one parent earns half of your family income.

Why is my net cost negative?

Because EI replaces pay you are not earning while on leave, and the calculator does not subtract that lost pay. A negative net cost does not mean the baby is profitable. Compare EI to your normal income to see the real gap in your budget.

Does the calculator work for Quebec?

Only partly. The CCB part applies, but Quebec residents receive maternity and parental benefits through the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan rather than federal EI, and this tool does not model that plan. Use the Quebec government's own simulator for those amounts.

Can I afford to have a baby?

Compare your monthly budget with the monthly expense figure, the monthly CCB and your expected EI weekly amount. If the drop in income during leave is larger than your savings and benefits can cover, plan for it before the birth. The calculator gives numbers to start that conversation but it is not financial advice.

Is my information saved or sent anywhere?

No. All calculations run in your browser and nothing you enter is transmitted or stored.

Sources

Primary and reference sources used for this page, each opened and checked in October 2026:

• Canada Revenue Agency: Canada child benefit, how much you can get — $8,157 per year for a child under 6 and $6,883 for ages 6 to 17 (July 2026 to June 2027); thresholds $38,237 and $82,847; not taxable (retrieved 2026-10)
• Service Canada: EI maternity and parental benefits — 55% up to $729 a week for maternity and standard parental; 33% up to $437 for extended parental; 15, 35/40 and 61/69 week limits (retrieved 2026-10)
• Government of Quebec: Quebec Parental Insurance Plan — Quebec residents' pregnancy, childbirth and adoption benefits are paid through QPIP (retrieved 2026-10)