Childcare and Club Cost Comparison Calculator

Who this is for

Compare providers on the same footing. Each option gets its rate, the hours or sessions you need, any one-off fees and travel, and the sheet turns that into a weekly, monthly and annual cost so the cheapest and the gap between them are clear.

Parents choosing between a childminder, nursery, after-school club, holiday club or nanny, and anyone whose hours are changing and wants to rework the sums.

What this helps you track

• Each option's rate and how it is charged
• The hours or sessions you actually need each week
• Registration fees, extras and travel costs
• Weekly, monthly and annual cost of each option
• The cheapest option and the gap to the dearest

How to use it

1. Write the child, the period being covered and your hours needed per week at the top, with the number of weeks a year you need care.
2. Add a line for each option with the provider's name, how they charge and their rate, taken from their own price list or quote.
3. Enter how many hours or sessions a week you would book, any one-off registration or deposit, and travel cost per week.
4. The weekly, monthly and annual columns are worked out in the browser and the workbook; the summary picks out the cheapest.
5. Use the checklist to ask each provider the same questions before you decide.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How is the annual cost worked out?

Rate times hours or sessions per week, plus weekly travel, gives the weekly cost. That is multiplied by the weeks a year you entered at the top, and any one-off fees are added. Monthly is the annual figure divided by twelve.

What about funded hours or tax-free childcare schemes?

The sheet does not know the schemes where you are, and they change. If you get help, enter the rate or hours you would actually pay for after it, using the figures from the scheme or provider.

Can I compare a nanny with a nursery?

Yes, as long as you enter a rate and a number of units on the same basis. For a nanny, extra employment costs can go in the one-off column or be added to the rate, from your own figures.

Why a field for weeks per year?

Because providers differ: some charge through school holidays and some close. Entering your own number of weeks keeps the annual figure honest for your family.