Cost of a child calculator
What a child costs at each stage and across the whole of childhood, using your own figures rather than a national average that may look nothing like your life.
How this is calculated
Childhood is split into three stages: the nursery years to age four, primary school from five to eleven, and the teenage years from twelve to seventeen. Each stage is costed on its own and multiplied by its length.
Setup costs are counted once at the start rather than spread across the years.
Childcare is applied only to the first five years, which is why that stage dominates the total for most households.
University costs are not included, since they fall after eighteen and vary enormously depending on whether the child lives at home.
Rates used · 2026/27
| Ages 0 to 4 | 5 years, childcare included |
| Ages 5 to 11 | 7 years |
| Ages 12 to 17 | 6 years |
| University | not included |
Last checked July 2026. Source: HMRC and gov.uk.
Worked example
With £1,800 of setup, £320 a month of everyday costs, £700 a month of childcare to age four, £800 a year of school costs and £450 a month through the teenage years, the total to eighteen is £132,680. That averages £7,371 a year, but the nursery years alone run at £12,240.
Common questions
Why is the nursery stage so expensive?
Because full-time childcare frequently costs more than a mortgage. Government-funded hours reduce it substantially, so enter what you expect to pay after any funding you qualify for.
Does a second child cost the same?
Usually less. Equipment gets reused, clothes get handed down, and many nurseries offer a sibling discount. Costs that scale directly, like food and childcare, do not fall.
Should I include lost earnings?
Not here, but it is often the largest cost of all. A career break or a move to part-time work can dwarf everything on this page.
What about Child Benefit?
Not deducted. It is currently paid for each child, with a tapered charge once someone in the household earns above the threshold, so treat the total here as gross.