Free Childcare Budget calculator with clear step-by-step results.
Prices full-time childcare across multiple children with the sibling discount applied from the second child onward, deducts any subsidy, and expresses the result as a share of take-home pay - the ratio that determines whether a second income is worth the cost.
Gross monthly cost
Gross = fee + fee x (children - 1) x (1 - sibling discount)
Share of income
Share % = (gross - subsidy) / household monthly income x 100
Benchmarks commonly cite 7-10% of household income for childcare. Many families in high-cost cities pay 20-30%, which is why the ratio is worth watching.
Full-time nursery places usually bill 12 months, which is what this assumes. Term-time-only settings need the fee prorated across the year first.