Childcare costs in NZ explained

At a glance: Childcare costs in NZ vary widely by type, age, and location — from around $0 to $10 a day for Playcentre, to $400+ a week for full-time daycare in some centres, to $20-$30 an hour for a babysitter. This chapter lays out real figures so you can budget properly, including The Village Co's own pricing as one point of comparison.

"How much does childcare cost?" is one of those questions that gets answered with a shrug far too often — partly because the honest answer is "it depends," and partly because nobody loves talking about money. But vague answers don't help anyone plan a budget, so this chapter is going to be as concrete as we can be.

A genuine caveat upfront: prices vary by region (Auckland is generally more expensive than smaller centres), by provider, and they change over time. Treat the figures below as a guide to the shape of costs — the relative differences between options — rather than gospel for your specific situation. Always check directly with providers for current rates.

ECE centres and kindergartens

Full-time ECE (roughly 40-50 hours a week) commonly runs somewhere in the range of $300 to $450+ per week per child before any subsidy, with significant variation by region and centre. Part-time care is usually charged per session or per day, often in the $70 to $100+ per day range.

Once 20 Hours ECE applies (ages 3 to 5), the funded 20 hours reduces this considerably — but as covered in Chapter 3, "optional charges" on top of the funded hours are common, so the actual out-of-pocket cost with 20 Hours ECE applied can still be a meaningful weekly expense, particularly for full-time care.

Kindergarten

Community kindergartens are often lower-cost than private ECE centres, particularly where they're not-for-profit and supported by their kindergarten association. Session-based kindergarten (mornings or afternoons only) can be very low cost or even free for 3 to 5 year olds once 20 Hours ECE is applied, though full-day kindergarten will have costs more comparable to ECE centres for any hours beyond the funded 20.

Playcentre

Playcentre is genuinely one of the lowest-cost options in NZ, often in the range of $5 to $15 per session, or sometimes a termly/annual membership fee covering unlimited sessions. The trade-off, as covered in Chapter 2, is the parent time commitment — you're rostered on to help run sessions, which is the "cost" that replaces most of the wage bill a centre would otherwise have.

Kōhanga Reo

Kōhanga Reo costs are broadly comparable to other ECE options in the same category (centre-based vs. session-based), with 20 Hours ECE applying for 3 to 5 year olds in the same way. Costs can vary depending on the specific kōhanga and whether whānau contributions or fundraising play a role, which is worth asking about directly.

Home-based ECE

Home-based ECE costs vary by network and educator, but are often broadly similar to or slightly below centre-based ECE for equivalent hours, particularly for babies and toddlers where centre infant-room costs can run higher due to staffing ratios.

Nannies

Nanny costs depend heavily on hours, experience, and whether the role is live-in or live-out. As a rough guide, a part-time nanny (say, 20-25 hours a week) might cost in a similar range to a centre-based equivalent once you factor in the nanny's wage, but the comparison gets more complex because you're typically the employer — meaning PAYE, KiwiSaver contributions, and other employment obligations are part of the true cost, not just the hourly rate. Nanny agencies typically charge a placement fee as well, which is a one-off cost on top of ongoing wages.

OSCAR (after-school and holiday programmes)

As covered in Chapter 4, after-school programmes commonly run somewhere around $15 to $25 per session, with holiday programmes typically higher — often $60 to $90+ per day — before any OSCAR Subsidy is applied. The subsidy reduces this for eligible families, but rarely to zero, particularly for holiday programmes.

Babysitters (The Village Co)

On The Village Co, sitters set their own hourly rate, typically in the $20 to $30 per hour range based on experience and qualifications. Families pay the sitter's rate plus a 20% service fee, which covers matching, six-layer vetting, $2 million liability insurance, and ongoing support.

Here's a real worked example, using the same numbers as our pricing page: a 4-hour evening booking with a sitter charging $25/hour comes to $100 for the sitter's time, plus a $20 service fee, for a total of $120. There's no signup fee, no membership, and no subscription — you only pay for the bookings you make.

Putting the numbers side by side

To make this more concrete, here's roughly what different options might cost for a similar block of time — say, a Tuesday afternoon, 3pm to 6pm (3 hours), for one child:

• OSCAR after-school programme: typically a flat per-session fee regardless of exact hours, often $15-$25, minus any subsidy.
• A babysitter at $25/hr: 3 hours × $25 = $75, plus 20% service fee ($15) = $90 total.
• A nanny on an hourly basis: similar hourly cost to a sitter, but typically requires a more ongoing/regular commitment rather than a one-off afternoon.

For a single occasional afternoon, OSCAR is often cheaper if a place is available. For a one-off or irregular need — especially if your child has an activity that day, or you need pickup from somewhere other than school — a babysitter's flexibility can be worth the difference.

The subsidy question

Almost every option above has a potential subsidy attached — 20 Hours ECE, the Childcare Subsidy, FamilyBoost, and OSCAR Subsidy all exist to bring these costs down for eligible families. We've covered the basics in earlier chapters, and the next chapter goes deeper on each one, because "what am I actually eligible for" is often the single most useful question you can answer before comparing costs.

Next: Chapter 6 — Government support: subsidies and rebates

FAQ

How much does daycare cost per week in NZ?
Full-time ECE (around 40-50 hours a week) commonly costs somewhere between $300 and $450+ per week before subsidies, varying by region and centre. Once 20 Hours ECE is applied for 3 to 5 year olds, the out-of-pocket cost is usually lower, though many centres charge additional fees on top of the funded hours.

How much does a babysitter cost in NZ?
On The Village Co, sitters set their own rate, typically $20 to $30 per hour, and families pay that rate plus a 20% service fee. A 4-hour booking with a $25/hour sitter would total $120 (the $100 sitter rate plus a $20 service fee).

Is Playcentre really cheaper than daycare?
Yes, generally significantly so — often in the $5 to $15 per session range, or a low termly fee — because Playcentre is parent-led rather than staffed, so the cost reflects parent time on the roster rather than wages.