Paying childcare costs can feel like a challenge and so this article highlights childcare prices in Scotland including how much are nursery fees in Scotland, childminder costs, after school club fees and nanny prices.
Table of contents
- At a glance
- What is the average cost of childcare in Scotland in 2026?
- How much does nursery cost in Scotland in 2026?
- What does a part-time nursery place cost in Scotland?
- How much is full-time nursery in Scotland?
- What is the cost of a childminder in Scotland 2026?
- How much is an after-school club in Scotland for children aged 5 – 11?
- How much does a nanny cost in Scotland?
- FAQs
Table of contents
- At a glance
- What is the average cost of childcare in Scotland in 2026?
- How much does nursery cost in Scotland in 2026?
- What does a part-time nursery place cost in Scotland?
- How much is full-time nursery in Scotland?
- What is the cost of a childminder in Scotland 2026?
- How much is an after-school club in Scotland for children aged 5 – 11?
- How much does a nanny cost in Scotland?
- FAQs
At a glance
- There are no funded entitlements for children aged under two in Scotland.
- Eligible two-year-olds can receive 16-30 hours a week of funded childcare.
- All three- and four-year-olds are entitled to 1,140 free hours per year (around 30 hours a week term time).
- For eligible children, there is essentially no cost for 25 hours a week of nursery or childminding, although families may still have to pay charges for (refundable) registration fees or activities (which must be voluntary).
What is the average cost of childcare in Scotland in 2026?
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).
The figures below highlight the average cost of different types of childcare including nursery and childminding. The figures come from Coram’s annual Childcare Survey 2026, which is based on responses from local authorities in Scotland.
How much does nursery cost in Scotland in 2026?
| Weekly average nursery cost in Scotland 2026 by age | Part time (25 hours a week) No funding entitlement. | Full-time (50 hours a week) |
| Child under 2 years old | £133.08 a week. | £259.10 a week. |
| Two-year-old child | £133.30 a week. | £259.68 a week. |
What does a part-time nursery place cost in Scotland?
- Part-time nursery (25 hours a week) for children aged under two costs on average £133.08 a week. No funded entitlement is available.
- For two year olds (with parents not getting any entitlement), the average cost of part-time nursery is £133.30 a week.
- A childminder costs more than a nursery. A part-time childminder place for a child under two costs on average £145.65 a week and for two-year-olds for parents not eligible for any entitlement costs on average £145.25 a week.
How much is full-time nursery in Scotland?
- In Scotland, full-time nursery (50 hours a week) for a child aged under two costs on average £259.10 a week.
- The average cost of full-time nursery for two year olds is £259.68 a week.
What is the cost of a childminder in Scotland 2026?
- A childminder costs more than a nursery.
- A part-time childminder place for a child under two costs on average £145.65 a week.
- For two-year-olds, a part-time childminder costs on average £145.25 a week (for parents not eligible for any entitlement).
- Full-time (50 hours a week) with a childminder for a child aged under two costs £286.53 a week.
- For two-year-olds, full-time (50 hours a week) with a childminder costs £290.65 a week.
- For a child aged 5-11 years old, the average cost of a childminder until 6pm is £94.31 a week.
How much is an after-school club in Scotland for children aged 5 – 11?
The average weekly cost of an after-school club in Scotland for children aged 5 – 11 years old is £71.08 a week.
How much does a nanny cost in Scotland?
The average salary for a nanny/babysitter is £16.28 per hour in Scotland, according to the jobs website Indeed (updated 21 March 2026).
Now that you have read about nursery costs, you may want to know how to find the right nursery for your child in Scotland.
FAQs
How much does nursery cost in Scotland?
The average cost of a full-time (50 hours a week) nursery place for a child under two in Scotland is £259.10 a week. For two-year-old in Scotland, it is £259.68 a week. The average cost of a part-time (25 hours a week) nursery place for a child under two is £133.08 a week or for a two-year-old it is £133.30 a week.
What is the average cost of childcare in Scotland?
The average cost of a full-time (50 hours a week) nursery place for a child under two in Scotland is £259.10 a week. For a two-year-old it is £259.68 a week. The average cost of a part-time (25 hours a week) nursery place for a child under two is £133.08 a week. For a part-time two-year-old, it is £133.30 a week. A full-time childminder for a child under two costs £286.53 a week. For a full-time two-year-old, it is £290.65 a week. A nanny’s average salary is £16.28 per hour in Scotland.
Do you get 30 hours free childcare in Scotland?
All three and four-year-olds in Scotland are entitled to free childcare hours. If used during school term time (38 weeks), the 1,140 hours of free childcare works out at 30 hours per week. Where 600 hours are available, it comes to 16 hours a week during term time. Some two-year-olds are also eligible depending on their circumstances, e.g. if they are looked after by a local authority or if their parents receive certain benefits.
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