Rates & sources
Indicative UK averages drawn from ONS Living Costs and Food Survey, plus trade body data.
Source: ONS — Living Costs and Food Survey — figures refreshed at the start of each tax year.
When to use this calculator
- When you need a fast estimate before making a bigger decision.
- When you want to compare a few scenarios using the same assumptions.
- When you need a clearer starting point before using a detailed quote or formal document.
- When you want to sanity-check a figure you have seen elsewhere before you rely on it.
- When you are preparing for a conversation with an adviser, supplier, or lender and want to arrive with realistic numbers.
A realistic South Africa planning example
Use these sample inputs as a quick scenario test, then change one variable at a time to compare outcomes.
Hours Per Week
40 hours
Hourly Rate (R)
5%
Weeks Per Year
25 years
Free Funded Hours Per Week
40 hours
After entering these figures, review annual cost, monthly and tax-free childcare saving together rather than in isolation — each metric tells a different part of the story. Then rerun the tool with one input adjusted to see which variable has the biggest effect on all three outputs before you settle on a plan.
How to read your results
Annual Cost
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Monthly
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Tax-Free Childcare Saving
Review this figure alongside your gross income so you can understand the true cost of deductions and plan around any thresholds before the tax year closes. If the figure looks higher than expected, check whether any pension or gift-aid contributions could reduce your taxable income.
Net Annual
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Method & assumptionsAuthoritative sources
This calculator estimates weekly, monthly, and annual childcare costs based on the number of sessions or hours required and the hourly or daily rate charged by your provider. You can apply free funded hours entitlements to see the net cost after government support. It also estimates potential Tax-Free Childcare savings based on the government's 20% top-up rule, subject to the annual £2,000 cap per child.
The calculator assumes standard term-time funded hours and does not account for holiday surcharges, registration fees, or meal charges that some providers levy separately. Eligibility for funded hours and Tax-Free Childcare depends on individual circumstances. Always confirm entitlement with your local authority or on the Childcare Choices government website.
Common mistakes
- !Using optimistic assumptions without testing a more cautious scenario as well.
- !Comparing outputs from different tools without checking that the inputs match.
- !Treating the result as a final quote instead of a planning estimate.
- !Rounding inputs too aggressively, which can produce an output that is noticeably different from your actual situation.
- !Stopping at a single run of the tool rather than adjusting the key variable up and down to understand the range of plausible outcomes.
What to do next
- Try at least one more scenario so you can compare a realistic range instead of a single estimate.
- Use the related calculators below to cross-check the decision from another angle.
- Open one of the linked guides if you need more context before you act on the result.
- Write down the key outputs from your best two or three scenarios so you have something concrete to compare when you make the final decision.
- If the result surprises you, change one input at a time to isolate which variable is driving the outcome before drawing conclusions.
Frequently asked
Use arrow keys to navigate items, Enter or Space to expand/collapse.
End-of-article next steps
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