--- title: "Childcare Cost Calculator UK 2026 | Nursery Advice" description: "Free UK childcare cost calculator. See your real monthly nursery bill after funded hours, Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit — in England, Scotland, Wales & NI." lang: en-GB json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "name": "Nursery Advice", "url": "https://www.nurseryadvice.co.uk", "description": "Search and compare UK nurseries. Ofsted ratings, fees, opening hours, parent reviews and inspection history — all in one place.", "inLanguage": "en-GB", "potentialAction": { "@type": "SearchAction", "target": { "@type": "EntryPoint", "urlTemplate": "https://www.nurseryadvice.co.uk/search?q={search_term_string}" }, "query-input": "required name=search_term_string" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "name": "Nursery Advice", "url": "https://www.nurseryadvice.co.uk", "description": "Search and compare UK nurseries. 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See your real monthly nursery bill after funded hours, Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit — in England, Scotland, Wales & NI." }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Where do your average nursery prices come from?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Hourly rate benchmarks are based on the Coram Childcare Survey and MoneyHelper averages, then split out by region. Open the \"Show the workings\" panel on any estimate for the exact figures and links to every source." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Are the funded hours up to date?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. We model the England working-parent expansion in force from September 2025 (30 hours for 9-month-olds and up), the universal 15 hours for all 3- and 4-year-olds, Scotland's 1,140 hours, Wales's Childcare Offer and the Northern Ireland pre-school year." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Why does the bill change when I tick \"Universal Credit\"?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "You can't use Universal Credit's childcare element and Tax-Free Childcare at the same time. UC reimburses up to 85% of eligible costs (subject to a monthly cap), which is usually more generous than TFC's 20% top-up if you qualify for UC." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "My nursery quoted a very different number — why?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "We use regional averages. Individual nurseries vary widely, especially in London. Use the \"I know my nursery's day rate\" option in the form, or shortlist real settings near you using the link under each estimate." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you store anything I enter?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is sent to our servers, and nothing is saved unless you copy the share link yourself." } } ] } ] --- [![Nursery Advice](/__l5e/assets-v1/1c5557d3-f3fd-42f8-935a-3f2d2c3ac7e7/nursery-advice.webp "Nursery Advice")](/ "Nursery Advice") [Find Nurseries](/search)[Parent Hub](/parent-hub)[Compare](/compare)[About Us](/about-us)[For Nurseries](/for-nurseries) [Claim Your Nursery](/claim) # Childcare cost calculator See what nursery will actually cost you after funded hours, Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — all the sums shown. Prefer to compare real fees at real settings? [Nursery Advice](/) lists live monthly rates for UK day nurseries. ## Let’s start with your postcode We use it to pull the right regional rates and funded-hours rules — nothing is stored. Calculate Works for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. ## How the calculator works We start from your region’s average nursery rate, apply the funded hours your child is entitled to, then subtract any Tax-Free Childcare top-up or Universal Credit reimbursement you qualify for. Tick anything your nursery charges on top — food, nappies, trips, deposits — in _Hidden extras_ and we’ll add a typical regional figure. Hit **Show the workings** on any estimate to see every step with the underlying figures and sources. Compare up to three scenarios side by side — useful when you’re weighing up four days vs five, or what changes when your toddler turns three. ## Frequently asked questions Where do your average nursery prices come from? Hourly rate benchmarks are based on the Coram Childcare Survey and MoneyHelper averages, then split out by region. Open the "Show the workings" panel on any estimate for the exact figures and links to every source. Are the funded hours up to date? Yes. We model the England working-parent expansion in force from September 2025 (30 hours for 9-month-olds and up), the universal 15 hours for all 3- and 4-year-olds, Scotland's 1,140 hours, Wales's Childcare Offer and the Northern Ireland pre-school year. Why does the bill change when I tick "Universal Credit"? You can't use Universal Credit's childcare element and Tax-Free Childcare at the same time. UC reimburses up to 85% of eligible costs (subject to a monthly cap), which is usually more generous than TFC's 20% top-up if you qualify for UC. My nursery quoted a very different number — why? We use regional averages. Individual nurseries vary widely, especially in London. Use the "I know my nursery's day rate" option in the form, or shortlist real settings near you using the link under each estimate. Do you store anything I enter? No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is sent to our servers, and nothing is saved unless you copy the share link yourself. ## Ready to find a brilliant nursery? Ready to shortlist? [Browse UK nurseries by area](/nurseries) and compare your calculator estimate against actual advertised fees — every Ofsted-registered setting, by postcode, age group and funded hours. [Find a nursery near you →](/search) [![Nursery Advice](/__l5e/assets-v1/1c5557d3-f3fd-42f8-935a-3f2d2c3ac7e7/nursery-advice.webp "Nursery Advice")](/) The independent UK nursery directory. Built with Ofsted data, kept current weekly. For parents - [Search nurseries](/search) - [Parent Hub](/parent-hub) - [Saved nurseries](/saved) - [Compare](/compare) For nurseries - [Promote Your Nursery](/for-nurseries) - [Claim a listing](/claim) - [Nursery dashboard](/owner) - [Sign in](/auth) Browse by location - [London](/nurseries/london) - [South East](/nurseries/south-east) - [North West](/nurseries/north-west) - [West Midlands](/nurseries/west-midlands) - [Yorkshire](/nurseries/yorkshire-and-the-humber) - [See all regions →](/nurseries) About - [About us](/about-us) - [Editorial policy](/parent-hub/editorial-standards) - [Contact us](/contact) - [Blog](/blog) - Data sources: Ofsted MI, GIAS [](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590427415951)[](https://www.linkedin.com/company/nurseryadvice-co-uk)[](https://uk.pinterest.com/NurseryAdvice/) Ofsted data & reports Inspection reports, ratings and provider details displayed on this site are sourced from [Ofsted](https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/) and contain public sector information published under the [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/). 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