gentle tools for your parenting journey

Baby Cost Calculator

Get a rough estimate of your baby's first-year costs based on your feeding, diapering and childcare choices.

Estimated first-year cost
The feeding and diapering presets use rough US average monthly costs as a starting point — if you're budgeting in another currency or region, treat those two as illustrative and adjust your expectations for local prices. Childcare, healthcare, gear and clothing are fields you fill in yourself, so enter your own local costs in whichever currency you select above. Actual costs vary a lot by location, brand choices and whether items are bought new, secondhand or gifted.

Common questions

Can I afford to have a baby?

It depends heavily on your feeding, childcare and location choices — childcare alone can range from 0 (a parent staying home) to well over 1,000 a month in your local currency. Fill in the fields above with your own numbers and expected childcare costs, and pick your currency, to get a first-year estimate tailored to your situation rather than a generic average.

Can I afford another baby?

Many recurring costs (formula or feeding, diapers, clothing) roughly repeat per child, though some one-time gear can often be reused or bought secondhand for a second baby, and childcare costs may or may not increase depending on your provider's sibling arrangements. Re-run the calculator with your updated childcare and gear numbers to compare.

What's the average cost of a baby's first year?

US estimates for a baby's first year commonly range from around $10,000 to $20,000+, driven mostly by childcare costs, which vary enormously by location and provider. Feeding, diapers and clothing tend to be smaller, more predictable line items by comparison — see the breakdown above for how each adds up.

How can I reduce first-year baby costs?

The biggest levers are usually childcare arrangements (a relative helping out, or a parent temporarily reducing hours), buying gear secondhand or accepting hand-me-downs, and choosing cloth over disposable diapers if that fits your routine. Try adjusting the fields above to see which choices move your estimate the most.