If you are searching for a nursery place for your child, you will need know the childcare cost in England, including full-time and part-time nursery fees as well as nanny cost and childminder costs.
Table of contents
- At a glance
- How much is childcare in 2026?
- What is the cost of nursery in England?
- Nursery cost for 25 and 50 hours a week (with and without funded entitlements for working parents)
- How much does part-time nursery cost in England?
- What is the cost of a full-time nursery place in England?
- How much is the cost of childcare in my area of England?
- How much is a part-time childminder in England?
- What is the cost of a full-time childminder in England?
- How much does a nanny cost in England?
- Is a nanny cheaper than nursery in the UK?
- FAQs
Table of contents
- At a glance
- How much is childcare in 2026?
- What is the cost of nursery in England?
- Nursery cost for 25 and 50 hours a week (with and without funded entitlements for working parents)
- How much does part-time nursery cost in England?
- What is the cost of a full-time nursery place in England?
- How much is the cost of childcare in my area of England?
- How much is a part-time childminder in England?
- What is the cost of a full-time childminder in England?
- How much does a nanny cost in England?
- Is a nanny cheaper than nursery in the UK?
- FAQs
At a glance
- In England, parents eligible for 30 hours a week funding, who have a child under 2 in nursery part-time (25 hours per week), will receive free childcare and should not pay for any hours during term time.
- Parents with a full-time (50 hours a week) nursery place for a child aged under two pay £148.82 if eligible for 30 hours a week funding. They pay £140.72 for a two-year-old and £132.72 for a three-or four-year-old child.
- A part-time childminder for a child under two is free during term time, if the parent is eligible for 30 hour funding entitlement.
- The average cost of a full-time childminder for a child under two (for parents eligible for 30 hours) is £122.32 a week.
How much is childcare in 2026?
These average weekly figures for childcare are listed below and come from the charity Coram’s annual Childcare Survey 2026. The survey is based on responses from local authorities in England.
What is the cost of nursery in England?
- Since September 2025, all eligible working parents of children aged from 9 months to four years in England can claim 30 hours free childcare a week for a child until they start school.
- Parents don’t get this funding until the term after a child reaches nine months old. You can use the hours from 1 January, 1 April or 1 September following your child reaching nine months old.
- The cost of a nursery place in England depends your child’s age, your region and whether they require a part-time (25 hours a week) or full-time (50 hours a week) nursery place.
Nursery cost for 25 and 50 hours a week (with and without funded entitlements for working parents)
| Category | Under-twos (25 hrs a week) | Two-year-olds (25 hrs) | Three & four-year-olds (25 hrs) | Under-twos (50 hrs a week) | Two-year-olds (50 hrs) | Three & four-year-olds (50 hrs) |
|---|
| Including funded entitlements for working parents | N/A | N/A | N/A | £148.82 | £140.72 | £132.72 |
| Without funded entitlement for working parents | £188.75 | £174.85 | £67.20 | £372.06 | £351.81 | £331.79 |
How much does part-time nursery cost in England?
- The average part-time nursery (25 hours a week) place for a child under two in England (whose parents are not eligible for 30 hours a week funding) is £188.75 a week.
- Parents eligible for 30 hours a week funding in England for a child under 2, who use nursery part-time, receive free childcare and will not pay any hours during term time. However, in practice, there may still be charges such as deposits (which must be refundable) or for consumables and activities (though these must be voluntary).
- The average cost of a part-time nursery place for a two-year-old (who is not eligible for funding) is £174.85.
- The average cost of a part-time place for a child aged three or four-year-old in England (including the 15 hour universal entitlement with parents paying for 10 hours) is £67.20.
What is the cost of a full-time nursery place in England?
- The average cost of a full-time (50 hours a week) nursery place for a child aged under two is £148.82 with 30 hours a week funding (parents pay for 20 hours a week).
- The cost of a full-time nursery place for a two-year-old is £140.72 a week with 30 hours a week funding (parents pay for 20 hours a week).
- For a full-time nursery place, the average cost of a three-or four-year-old child in England is £132.72 a week for parents eligible for funding. Parents pay for 20 hours.
- Full-time nursery hours for a three-or-four-year-old in England is £331.79 a week for parents not eligible for funding.
How much is the cost of childcare in my area of England?
- The cost of childcare in England varies depending on your child’s geographical location.
- The price of a full-time nursery place for children under two is higher in inner London, than many other regions of England.
Price of part-time and full-time nursery for child Under 3 (after entitlements considered)
| Region | Nursery or childminder Part-time (25 hrs a wk) term-time, parents eligible for 30 hrs a wk | Nursery part-time: Children eligible for 15h FRAS entitlement (paying for 10 hours a week) | Children not eligible for any entitlement (paying for 25hrs) | Nursery full-time (50 hrs a wk): parents eligible for 30 hrs a wk (paying 20 hrs a wk) |
| England | £0 | £69.94 | £174.85 | £140.72 |
| East Midlands | £0 | £63.61 | £159.02 | £129.80 |
| East of England | £0 | £70.27 | £175.67 | £113.90 |
| London, Inner | £0 | £88.87 | £222.18 | £180.69 |
| London, Outer | £0 | £85.60 | £213.99 | £172.62 |
| North East | £0 | £63.64 | £159.10 | £125.81 |
| North West | £0 | £63.20 | £158.01 | £123.50 |
| South East | £0 | £73.84 | £184.60 | £151.68 |
| South West | £0 | £65.93 | £164.83 | £133.19 |
| West Midlands | £0 | £68.50 | £171.26 | £137.51 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £0 | £61.51 | £153.78 | £123.90 |
How much is a part-time childminder in England?
- A part-time (25 hours per week) childminder in England for a child under two is free during term time, if the parent is eligible for 30 hour funding entitlement. There may still be charges such as deposits (which must be refundable) or for consumables or activities (which must be voluntary).
- The cost of a part-time childminder for a child under two whose parent is not eligible for 30 hours a week funding, is £155.28 a week.
What is the cost of a full-time childminder in England?
- The average cost of a full-time (50 hours) childminder in England for a child under two (for parents eligible for 30 hours working parent funding and paying 20 hours per week) is £122.32 a week
- For a two-year-old child, (for parents eligible for 30 hours working parent funding and paying 20 hours per week) the average cost of a full-time childminder is £120.89 a week.
How much does a nanny cost in England?
On the subject of how much does a nanny cost in England, according to www.nannywageltd.co.uk, full-time live-out nannies now average £41,002 a year. This increases to £50,726 in London at almost £20 an hour.
A nanny’s rate typically stays the same regardless of the number of children.
- A full-time (50 hours) live-in nanny costs from £400 to £650 per week, plus National Insurance contributions.
- The average salary for a nanny is £14.81 per hour in England, according to jobs website Indeed.
Is a nanny cheaper than nursery in the UK?
Nannies, which offer -one-on-one care in your home, are typically more expensive than a nursery in the UK.
Now you know about nursery costs, you may want to know how to find a nursery for your child. Bear in mind, the budget, location, operating hours and ethos of the nursery all need to be right for your child.
FAQs
How much does part-time nursery cost in England?
The average cost of a part-time nursery place for a child aged three or four-year-old (including the 15 hour universal entitlement with parents paying for 10 hours) is £67.20. For a child under two (whose parents are not eligible for 30 hours a week funding), it is £188.75 a week.
Parents eligible for funded 30 hours a week for a child under 2, receive free childcare and will not pay any hours during term time. The average cost for a two-year-old (who is not eligible for any funding) is £174.85.
How much does full time nursery cost in England?
The average cost of a full-time (50 hours a week) nursery place in England for a child aged under two is £148.82 a week for parents eligible for 30 hours a week funding. For a two year old, it is £140.72 a week parents eligible for funding. For a three-or four-year-old child it is £132.72 a week for parents eligible for 30 hours a week funding.
How much does a childminder cost in England?
A part-time (25 hours per week) childminder in England for a child under two is free during term time, if the parent is eligible for 30 hour funding. or a child under two whose parent is not eligible for 30 hours a week funding, a childminder costs £155.28 a week. For a two-year-old, (for parents eligible for 30 hours funding, the average cost of a full-time childminder is £120.89 a week. For a child under two (for parents eligible for 30 hours funding, the average cost is £122.32 a week.
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