Practical decision guide
Au pair, nanny or daycare: compare the complete family cost
The weekly au pair compensation is only one part of hosting costs. A useful comparison also includes agency fees, a private room, food, transportation, education, and backup care during time off. Compare written quotes for the same care schedule.
How to use this tool
Enter the care you need
Use family hours, not hours multiplied by children, and include weeks when schools or work are open.
Price the full arrangement
Add annual, monthly and weekly costs in their own fields without double counting.
Include coverage gaps
Subtract vacation and closure weeks and price the remaining hours at a realistic backup-care rate.
Confirm suitability
Discuss daily schedules, children’s ages, housing, program rules and employment terms separately.
Example: two children with 40-hour care
The illustrative defaults need 2,000 hours: 40 hours for 50 weeks. Au pair costs total $36,700, including $12,000 agency fees, $13,000 annual compensation, $7,800 room/board, $2,400 transportation, $500 education and $1,000 other costs. Nanny wages of $58,240 plus a 10% employer-cost assumption and $2,000 other costs total $66,064. Two daycare places at $1,500 monthly plus $250 annual fees each total $36,500.
Example: adding a third child
Keeping the same family-level caregiver quotes, a third daycare place increases daycare to $54,750. The $36,700 au pair arrangement is then $18,050 less in this cost model. In practice, a nanny’s rate or au pair placement suitability may change with the children’s number and ages; update those inputs before deciding.
Hours and paid vacation matter
A standard au pair placement is limited to 45 hours weekly and 10 daily, and a full year includes at least two weeks of paid vacation. If you need 50 hours for 52 weeks, even 45 hours for 50 working weeks leaves 350 backup hours. At the illustrative $30 family hourly rate, those gaps add $10,500. EduCare follows different limits and is outside this standard-program model.
This is a cost comparison, not a determination of program eligibility or lawful compensation. Confirm sponsor terms, private-room requirements, daily schedules, child-age restrictions and local employment rules.
Sources and further reading
Frequently asked questions
Are the default costs typical prices or legal minimums?
No. They are transparent example inputs. Use sponsor fees, local quotes and legally required compensation for the actual location and arrangement.
Does an au pair cost multiply for each child?
The tool treats the entered au pair and nanny quotes as family-level amounts. Daycare is priced per child. Confirm whether the provider’s quote or placement conditions change for more children.
Does this calculate nanny taxes automatically?
No. The employer payroll percentage is your entered estimate. Household-worker tax obligations, thresholds, overtime rules and insurance costs depend on the arrangement and location.
Are childcare tax benefits included?
No. This compares costs before tax benefits. Eligibility and which expenses qualify can differ; use the related daycare/nanny calculator for a separate tax-benefit scenario.