childcare costs in Canberra
the complete breakdown of childcare costs in Canberra, ACT — covering long day care, family day care, outside school hours care, nannies, and au pairs.
cost breakdown
long day care
centre-basedaverage daily fee: $135/day · median: $130/day · hourly: $13.50/hr
family day care
home-basedaverage daily fee: $100/day — typically 10-20% cheaper than centre-based long day care with smaller group sizes.
outside school hours care (OSHC)
before & after schoolaverage daily fee: $33/day — covers before-school, after-school, and vacation care.
nanny
in-homeaverage hourly rate: $31/hr — nannies are not eligible for CCS unless registered through an approved in-home care provider.
au pair
live-inaverage weekly cost: $340/week — includes pocket money plus board. au pairs are not eligible for CCS.
CCS example for Canberra
a family earning $120K would receive ~75% CCS, reducing a $135/day fee to ~$34/day out of pocket.
estimate your costs: use our Child Care Subsidy calculator to see your estimated out-of-pocket cost based on your family income.
things to know about childcare in Canberra
- •Canberra childcare costs rival Sydney due to high household incomes and strong demand.
- •The ACT government provides additional subsidies on top of CCS for low-income families.
- •Waitlists in popular Canberra suburbs (Woden, Belconnen) can be 6-12 months.
view all city childcare costs
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costs are approximate 2026 averages based on Australian Government Child Care Subsidy data & ACECQA reports. actual fees vary by centre, suburb, and care type. CCS rates are subject to change. mini mode is not affiliated with any government department.