Daycare Cost Calculator
Enter the price you were quoted and how it is charged to see what daycare costs per week, month and year, then compare it with published median prices.
This free Daycare Cost Calculator turns one child-care quote into your daycare cost for a year, a month, a week and an hour. It runs in your browser, needs no sign-up, and nothing you type is saved or sent.
If you are asking how much does daycare cost for your family, enter the price your provider quoted, choose the period it covers, and add your children and schedule. The results show a total per year, an average per month, an average per week paid, a cost per child and a cost per child per hour in care. You can also use the comparison panel to see how your figure sits against the published average cost of daycare for an age group, care setting and county size. Treat every figure as a planning estimate, not a bill.
How to use the Daycare Cost Calculator
- Type your quote in “Your quoted price ($)”. The default is 300.
- Under “That price is per”, choose hour, day, week, month or year.
- Enter “Children in care” as a whole number from 1 to 10. The price is for one child.
- Enter “Days per week” (up to 7) and “Hours per day” (up to 24). Hourly, daily and weekly quotes use them in the total, and the cost per hour always uses them.
- Enter “Weeks you pay per year” (up to 52). Use 50 if two weeks of closure or vacation are unpaid.
- Open “More options” if your contract has a sibling discount in percent, a registration fee or supply fee per child per year, or extra or late hours per week with a charge per extra hour.
- Read the results: “Total per year”, “Average per month”, “Average per week you pay”, “Per child” and “Cost per child per hour in care”.
- Check for a warning. One appears when the first child works out to under $20 or over $1,500 a week, when a sibling discount is set with one child, and when hours per day is more than 14. If you see one, check the period you chose.
- To compare, pick an age group under “Compare with published prices for”, then “Type of care” and “County population size”. Choose “Do not compare” to hide the panel.
Change one value at a time to see how it moves your total.
How much does daycare cost per year?
Your yearly daycare cost is the price you enter, multiplied by the time it covers, plus any extra charges.
For an hourly quote, the yearly cost for the first child is the price × hours per day × days per week × weeks paid. For a daily quote, it is the price × days per week × weeks paid. For a weekly quote, it is the price × weeks paid. A monthly price is counted as 12 payments (price × 12), and a yearly price is used as the yearly total. Weeks paid does not change the tuition for either of those two.
The full total adds the extras. Total per year = tuition for all children − sibling discount + (registration + supply fees) × children + extra hours × charge × weeks paid. The per month figure is the total ÷ 12, and the per week figure is the total ÷ weeks paid. The cost per child per hour is the total ÷ (children × weeks paid × days per week × hours per day), so the days and hours fields are used even when your quote is weekly or monthly.
With the default settings of $300 per week, one child, 5 days of 9 hours and 52 weeks, the result is $15,600 per year, $1,300 per month, $300 per week and $6.67 per hour.
What is the average cost of daycare, and how does it compare?
The average cost of daycare is a published median, and this tool does not set it. The comparison panel shows the published median yearly price for one child, then states how far your cost per child is above or below that figure.
The published figures come from state market rate surveys for full-time care of one child without subsidies. They are 2018 data, and they vary a lot between counties, so treat them as a rough yardstick rather than a quote. For example, the published median for infant center-based care in a county of 100,000 to 499,999 people was $10,194 in 2018. The U.S. Department of Labor expresses that as $11,354 in 2022 dollars, which is about $218 a week when divided by 52.
The panel shows 2022 dollars with the 2018 figure, and its table lists all four county sizes.
Sources (checked 15 October 2026): dol.gov
Worked examples
| Input | Result |
|---|---|
| $300 per week, 1 child(ren) | $15,600 per year, $1,300 per month, $300 per week |
| $1,200 per month, 2 child(ren) | $27,560 per year, $2,297 per month, $530 per week |
| $75.00 per day, 1 child(ren) | $10,800 per year, $900 per month, $225 per week |
| $9.00 per hour, 1 child(ren) | $18,000 per year, $1,500 per month, $360 per week |
Calculated by the tool above; open it with the same values to see each step.
Frequently asked questions
Is this daycare cost calculator free, and do I need to sign up?
Yes, it is free and needs no sign-up. It runs in your browser, and nothing you enter is saved or uploaded.
How much does daycare cost with the default numbers?
With the defaults of $300 per week, one child, 5 days of 9 hours and 52 weeks, the total is $15,600 per year, which is $1,300 per month. Change the price or the schedule to match your own quote.
What is the average daycare cost per week?
This tool does not give one national figure. The comparison panel shows a published median for the age group, setting and county size you choose. The published example for infant center-based care in a county of 100,000 to 499,999 people is about $218 a week, in 2022 dollars.
Why does my monthly quote not change when I change weeks paid?
A monthly price is counted as 12 payments, and a yearly price is used as the yearly total, so weeks paid does not change the tuition for either. It still changes the per week and per hour results, which divide by weeks paid, and the extra-hours charge.
Does the calculator include registration and supply fees?
Yes. Enter a registration fee and a supply fee per child per year under “More options”, and they are added to the total for each child. A sibling discount in percent comes off the second and each later child.
Is the comparison figure a price I will be charged?
No. The comparison figure is a published median from 2018 data, and it is a rough yardstick, not a quote. Your provider’s contract and fee schedule are the figures to rely on.
Related tools
- Attendance Sheet: Use it to record which children attended each day.
- Daycare Contract Template: Use it as a starting point for the terms of care, fees and payment.
- Daycare Enrollment Form: Use it to collect the details you need when a new child joins your program.
- Emergency Contact Form: Use it to set up the contact details that should be on hand if a family cannot be reached.
- Field Trip Permission Slip: Use it to ask families for written permission before a trip.
- Media Release Form (Sample): Use it as a sample to ask how photos or recordings of a child may be used.
- Nanny Cost vs Daycare Calculator: Use it to compare the yearly cost of a nanny with daycare for the same schedule.
- Parent Contact Log: Use it to note the date, method and reason for each parent conversation.