Childcare Cost Calculator

The Childcare Cost calculator estimates your total nursery, childminder or after-school costs and applies the major UK childcare subsidies for 2025/26: free entitlement hours and Tax-Free Childcare. Average UK nursery prices range from £50-£80/day full-day, with London prices typically 30-50% higher than the national average. A full-time nursery place can cost £1,400-£2,000/month before subsidies — making accurate planning essential before returning to work. In England from September 2025, eligible working parents earning at least the equivalent of 16h/week at NLW (about £195/week) and each earning under £100,000 get 30 hours of funded childcare during term time for children aged 9 months to school age. All 3-4 year olds get a universal 15 hours regardless of income. Tax-Free Childcare adds a 20% government top-up — for every £8 you pay in, the state adds £2, capped at £500/quarter (£2,000/year per child, £4,000 for disabled children). Both schemes can be used together. This tool is for parents budgeting for return-to-work, comparing nurseries with childminders, deciding whether one parent should reduce hours, and choosing between Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit childcare (UC pays up to 85% but the two cannot be combined for the same child). It is also useful for parents straddling thresholds — earning £101,000 wipes out free hours and TFC eligibility entirely. What the calculator does NOT model: holiday-club costs (free hours are usually term-time-only at 38 weeks), top-up fees for meals/nappies/trips, the timing transition from one funded band to another at child birthdays, Specified Adult Childcare credits for grandparents, the closed Employer Childcare Voucher scheme (existing members only), or Universal Credit childcare element (85% up to £1,031.88 for one child or £1,768.94 for two from April 2025). Regional notes: free-hour entitlements differ across the UK. Scotland offers 1,140 funded hours for 3-4 year olds (and eligible 2-year-olds), Wales has the Childcare Offer (30 hours for 3-4 year olds of working parents), Northern Ireland has a more limited 12.5-hour preschool offer. Tax-Free Childcare is UK-wide. Pair with Child Benefit, Maternity Pay and Take-Home Pay.