Childcare costs: How much do you pay in Scotland 2025?

Finding affordable childcare and meeting childcare costs in Scotland in 2025 can feel like a challenge. Parents want to know how much nursery fees in Scotland are and prices such as the average childminder cost in Scotland. You may question whether your budget can meet your childcare needs.       

What is the average cost of childcare in Scotland 2025?     

In Scotland, childminder prices are higher than nursery prices for two-year-olds, although not for children under two. It is a good idea to do your research before you choose a nursery, childminder or nanny in Scotland.

If you want to know a breakdown of much different types of childcare costs in Scotland, read below to discover Scotland’s nursery fees, childminder costs and nanny prices. 

How much does nursery cost in Scotland?

Weekly average nursery cost in Scotland 2025 by age	Part time (25 hours a week)	Full-time (50 hours a week)
Child under 2 years old	£122.38	£239.78
Two-year-old child	£124.75	£235.49

The figures above come from the charity Coram’s annual Childcare Survey 2025. It is based on responses from local authorities in Scotland.

How much are part-time nursery fees in Scotland?

The average cost of a part-time (25 hours a week) nursery place for a child under two in Scotland is £122.38 a week.

 A part-time (25 hours) nursery place for a child under two costs on average £6,364 a year (52 weeks) in Scotland.

A part-time nursery place for a two-year-old child in Scotland is £124.75 a week.

How much is a full-time nursery place in Scotland? 

The average cost of a full-time (50 hours a week) nursery place for a child under two in Scotland is £239.78 a week.   

For two-year-old in Scotland, a full-time nursery place is £235.49 a week (£12,245 per year).    

16-30 free childcare hours for eligible two-year-olds

Some eligible two-year-olds in Scotland can access government-funded early learning and childcare and get up to 16 or 30 hours free childcare per week.

Whether you are entitled to the free hours or not depends on either the child’s or their parents’ circumstances.

For instance, two-year-olds in Scotland can get free childcare if they are looked after by a local authority, are the subject of a kinship care order, or the subject of a guardianship order. If parents receive certain benefits, their child may also be eligible.

30 hours free childcare in Scotland for three and four year olds

The Scottish government extended the hours of Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) to 1140 hours of funded childcare per year.  

All parents of three- and four-year-olds in Scotland can access 1,140 hours of funded childcare per year. These equates to 30 hours a week during term-time (or about 22 hours if spread across the year).

For a full-time place in nursery (50 hours a week) in Scotland, families are paying on average £96.74 per week, if they are receiving 30 hours of funded childcare and paying for 20 hours.

How much does UK childcare cost in 2025?

Childcare costs differ based on where you live in the UK, what type of childcare you need and how many hours per week you need someone to care for your child.  

How much does a childminder cost in Scotland 2025?

The cost of part-time (25 hours per week) childcare for a child under two by a childminder is on average £7,165 a year (52 weeks) in Scotland.

The average price of a childminder is £137.79 per week in Scotland.

The average cost of a full-time (50 hours) childminder in Scotland for a child under two is £259.53 a week (£13,496 a year).  

For a two-year-old child, a full-time childminder costs on average £259.67 a week.  

How much does a nanny cost in Scotland?

The average salary for a nanny/babysitter is £14.62 per hour in Scotland, according to the jobs website Indeed (updated 29 March 2025).

Now that you have read about nursery costs, you may want to know how to find the right nursery for your child in Scotland.