Family Calculators

Childcare cost per hour.

Enter up to three childcare options with the fee and the hours you really use. See the cost per hour, per month and per year, and which is cheapest per hour. Runs in your browser; nothing is sent or stored.

Your numbers

Option 1 name

Option 1 fee

Option 1 fee is per

Option 1 hours of care used per week

Option 1 weeks billed per year (weekly fees)

Option 1 weeks of care used per year

Option 2 name

Option 2 fee

Option 2 fee is per

Option 2 hours of care used per week

Option 2 weeks billed per year (weekly fees)

Option 2 weeks of care used per year

Option 3 name

Option 3 fee

Option 3 fee is per

Option 3 hours of care used per week

Option 3 weeks billed per year (weekly fees)

Option 3 weeks of care used per year

Leave an option's fee and hours blank to skip it. Weeks billed only matters for weekly fees; weeks used is how many weeks a year you actually need the care, so paid holidays and closures raise the hourly cost.

Result

Fill the form and press Calculate.

Cost per hour = yearly fees / hours of care used in the year. A $1,200 monthly daycare fee used 45 hours a week for 52 weeks is $14,400 over 2,340 hours, about $6.15 an hour.

Arithmetic only. No childcare prices are built in. The comparison is only as good as the fees and hours you enter, and it ignores quality, travel time and tax deductions.

Worked example

Daycare at $1,200 a month used 45 hours a week for 52 weeks costs $14,400 a year for 2,340 hours, which is $6.15 an hour. A nanny at $600 a week, billed 50 weeks and used 40 hours a week for 50 weeks, costs $30,000 for 2,000 hours, $15.00 an hour. The daycare is cheaper per hour by $8.85.

How it works

Yearly fee = weekly fee x weeks billed, monthly fee x 12, or the yearly fee as entered. Hours = hours per week x weeks used. Cost per hour = yearly fee / hours. Monthly = yearly fee / 12. The cheapest option per hour is highlighted when you enter more than one.

Sources

Arithmetic on the numbers you enter. No external prices, rates or guidelines are used.

FAQ

How do I work out the cost of childcare per hour?

Divide what you pay in a year by the hours of care you use in a year. For monthly fees multiply by 12 first; for weekly fees multiply by the weeks you are billed.

Why is my real hourly cost higher than the posted rate?

Because you pay for weeks you do not use, such as holidays or closures. Set weeks used lower than weeks billed and the hourly cost rises.

Is a nanny or daycare cheaper per hour?

It depends on your fees and hours. Enter each quote with the hours you will really use and the cheapest option per hour is highlighted.

Does this include the childcare tax deduction or subsidies?

No. Subtract any subsidy from the fee yourself. For the Canadian child care expense deduction see the child care expenses calculator.

Can I compare part-time and full-time?

Yes. Enter the same provider twice with different fees and weekly hours to see how the hourly cost changes.