Nursery cost calculator
See what a day nursery place is likely to cost you each month, once the free hours for working parents are taken off.
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Average price per paid hour, by area
| Area | Under 9 months | 9 months to 2 | 2 years old | 3 or 4 years old |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | £6.61 | £6.38 | £6.49 | £6.14 |
| East of England | £7.67 | £7.73 | £7.04 | £6.75 |
| Inner London | £9.52 | £9.25 | £9.03 | £8.96 |
| North East | £6.65 | £7.02 | £6.29 | £5.83 |
| North West | £7.12 | £6.78 | £6.17 | £6.02 |
| Outer London | £8.68 | £8.57 | £8.63 | £7.92 |
| South East | £8.08 | £8.06 | £7.58 | £7.21 |
| South West | £7.23 | £7.27 | £6.66 | £6.12 |
| West Midlands | £6.99 | £7.09 | £6.88 | £6.64 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £6.25 | £6.32 | £6.20 | £5.91 |
Worked out from the Coram Childcare Survey 2026: the weekly price of 25 hours with no free hours, or of the 20 paid hours in a 50 hour week after the 30 free hours. Full weekly prices are on nursery fees by region.
How the monthly figure is worked out
Free hours cover 38 weeks a year. Most nurseries spread them over the 51 weeks they are open, which works out at about 22 free hours a week. You pay for the hours above that, at your area's average price, for 51 weeks, divided into 12 monthly payments. Meals, nappies and trips can cost extra.
Nursery list and inspection outcomes from Ofsted's register of childcare providers, as at 30 June 2026.
Fees shown are regional averages from the Coram Family and Childcare Survey 2026, not any one nursery’s price. Confirm with the nursery before enrolling.
Eligibility rules are the government’s (childcarechoices.gov.uk). Whether a nursery offers the funded hours, and what it charges for meals and consumables, is the nursery’s decision; ask for its funded-hours terms in writing.