cost of raising a child calculator
estimate what raising your kids will cost from now to age 18, based on your income, childcare, schooling plan and state. 2026 figures.
last verified: 1 April 2026
want a personalised year-by-year forecast? our newer cost of a child — 18-year forecast composes CCS, FTB, PPL and tax into a year-by-year cashflow chart with peak-strain years and side-by-side scenarios.
how many kids are you raising (or planning to raise)?
if you have multiple kids, use the age of the youngest for a simple projection.
NSW, VIC and ACT have a metro cost-of-living premium applied.
estimated cost to raise 1 child
$281,200.00 remaining
cost of raising a child calculator — last verified 1 April 2026
your family
- number of children
- 1
- age of youngest child
- 2 years
- household income
- middle
- state
- NSW (metro)
- childcare
- part-time
- schooling plan
- public
multipliers
- income multiplier
- ×1.00
- metro multiplier
- ×1.15
- sibling factor
- ×1.00
annual cost
- per child (this year)
- $24,100.00/yr
- household total (this year)
- $24,100.00/yr
- household total (per month)
- $2,008.00/mo
lifetime cost
- remaining cost to age 18
- $281,200.00
- full cost 0-18 (all kids)
- $329,400.00
monthly cost by age band
- ages 0-4 (early years)
- $2,008.00/mo
- ages 5-12 (primary school)
- $1,192.00/mo
- ages 13-17 (teen years)
- $1,575.00/mo
tips for your situation
- childcare is the single biggest cost in the early years — full-time care can add $16,000+ per child per year even after Child Care Subsidy. use our CCS calculator to see your out-of-pocket.
- budget more for the teen years than you expect — food, phones, transport, school extras and activities push costs up sharply from age 13.
- the biggest single variable is schooling. public vs independent private is a ~$24,000/yr difference per child for 13 years — that's over $300,000 per child in fees alone.
notes
- •these figures are estimates based on published research (AMP/NATSEM and Curtin University cost-of-a-child studies), adjusted to current prices. your actual costs will vary based on lifestyle, health needs, extracurriculars and where you live.
- •the sibling factor assumes each additional child costs about 85% of the first due to shared resources, hand-me-downs and bulk buying.
- •childcare figures are an after-CCS estimate for a middle-income family. your out-of-pocket may be lower (with higher CCS rates) or higher (if you're near the income cap).
this calculator provides estimates based on published government rates and formulas. your actual entitlement may vary based on your full circumstances. always check with Services Australia for a precise figure.