Daycare vs Nanny
Compare the annual cost of daycare against a nanny.
About Daycare vs Nanny
Daycare is billed monthly, while a nanny is billed hourly across the guaranteed weekly hours for the whole year. Converting both to an annual total allows a like-for-like comparison that also hints at flexibility and the level of one-on-one care. A nanny can be cheaper than daycare for a single infant in some areas, so annual totals prevent families from assuming the center is automatically the better deal.
Formula
Daycare vs Nanny
Daycare annual = monthly x 12; nanny annual = hourly x weekly hours x weeks
- nanny weekly hours
- Guaranteed weekly hours the nanny works
Worked example
With the default values below, Daycare vs Nanny returns Daycare Annual Cost of $16,800.00. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Daycare per month
- 1,400
- Nanny hourly rateminimum 0
- 20
- Nanny hours per weekminimum 0
- 35
- Weeks per yearminimum 1
- 52
Results
- Daycare Annual Cost
- $16,800.00
- Nanny Annual Cost
- $36,400.00
- Annual Difference
- $19,600.00
- Cheaper Option
- Daycare is cheaper
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Daycare vs Nanny
- 3Daycare Annual Cost= 16,800.00
- 4Nanny Annual Cost= 36,400.00
- 5Annual Difference= 19,600.00
- 6Cheaper Option= Daycare is cheaper
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or fees or charges into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Daycare vs Nanny calculated?
Daycare annual = monthly x 12; nanny annual = hourly x weekly hours x weeks Daycare is billed monthly, while a nanny is billed hourly across the guaranteed weekly hours for the whole year. Converting both to an annual total allows a like-for-like comparison that also hints at flexibility and the level of one-on-one care.
Why does Daycare vs Nanny matter?
A nanny can be cheaper than daycare for a single infant in some areas, so annual totals prevent families from assuming the center is automatically the better deal.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 4 inputs: Daycare per month, Nanny hourly rate, Nanny hours per week, Weeks per year. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.