The FisCalc
// FAMILY BUDGETING

Children's Cost
Calculator

See the real cost of raising children in Australia — from pregnancy through school, across every stage of life. Includes insurance, custom categories, and multi-year projections.

Number of children
State / Territory
Display costs as
$13,950/yr
Childcare / OOSH
Using ABS estimate for age 8$1,200/yr
School type
Sports (number of activities)
Co-curricular / Extras
School fees$1,550
Childcare/OOSH$1,200
Food + clothing + health$7,200
Sport (1 activity)$2,500
Extras$1,500
// PREGNANCY_AND_BIRTH_COSTS
One-off costs for pregnancy, birth, and newborn setup. Toggle on to include in your total.
// INSURANCE_COSTS
Annual insurance costs for parents and children. These are approximate uplift costs — not full premium quotes.
// CUSTOM_COST_CATEGORIES
Add any costs not listed above. Enter the amount and choose your preferred input frequency.

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Annual cost for 1 child
Weekly
$268
per week
Monthly
$1,163
per month
Quarterly
$3,488
per quarter
Annually
$13,950
per year
// COST_BREAKDOWN_BY_CATEGORY
Annual breakdown across all children — shown as annual amounts
CategoryChild 1Annual totalPer monthPer quarter
School fees + uniforms$1,550$1,550$129$388
Childcare / OOSH$1,200$1,200$100$300
Food & nutrition$5,000$5,000$417$1,250
Clothing & footwear$1,400$1,400$117$350
Healthcare & dentist$800$800$67$200
Sport & recreation$2,500$2,500$208$625
School camps & excursions$1,200$1,200$100$300
Devices & technology$300$300$25$75
TOTAL$13,950$13,950$1,163$3,488
// SCHOOL_COST_REFERENCE (QLD)
Annual fees benchmark (tuition + uniforms + books + excursions). Excludes optional extras and co-curricular.
School typePrimary (all-in est.)Secondary (all-in est.)
Public$1,550$2,450
Catholic$4,400$7,900
Independent$10,100$18,400
Public school costs include levies, excursion contributions, and uniform estimates. Catholic figures are based on average parish school fees plus uniforms/books. Independent figures represent mid-range non-Catholic private schools; elite schools may be 30–50% higher. All figures can be overridden per child above.
Estimates only. Costs vary significantly by family, school, location, and lifestyle. Childcare figures assume government-subsidised CCS at a typical rate; actual costs depend on income and care type. Food, clothing, and healthcare are estimated from ABS Household Expenditure Survey data adjusted for 2025. Insurance figures are approximate uplift costs only — not full premium quotes. Pregnancy costs are indicative and exclude Medicare rebates. This is a planning tool, not an exact budget. Not financial advice.

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The Real Cost of Raising Children in Australia

The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) estimates that the direct cost of raising a child to age 17 ranges from approximately $140,000 (lower-income household) to $297,000 (higher-income household) in today's dollars. These figures exclude lost income from one parent reducing work hours for caregiving — which the AMP NATSEM research has estimated at up to $140,000 over the first 5 years of a child's life for the primary caregiver. The combined direct and indirect cost of raising a child is consistently underestimated by first-time parents across all income levels.

Childcare costs and the Child Care Subsidy gap

Long day care centre fees in major Australian cities typically range from $120 to $200 per day. The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) reduces this cost, with the subsidy percentage ranging from 90% for families earning below $80,000 to 0% for families earning above $530,000. The subsidy is applied per-hour, per-child, and is calculated based on the approved hourly rate and the government's benchmarked Activity Test hours. A family earning $120,000 with one child in full-time care (50 hours/week) might receive approximately 72% subsidy, reducing a $180/day fee to approximately $50/day out-of-pocket. Families with multiple children under 5 receive an additional 30% higher subsidy for subsequent children.

Education cost trajectories — government vs Catholic vs independent

The Australian Scholarships Group (ASG) Education Cost Report estimates total education costs from Prep to Year 12 across school types. For a child starting school in 2025, projected costs to Year 12 completion are approximately: government school — $66,000–$75,000 (including uniforms, excursions, levies, and devices); Catholic school — $130,000–$170,000; mid-range independent school — $240,000–$380,000. Elite boarding schools can exceed $600,000 for 13 years. These are in today's dollars and do not account for university costs of $30,000–$50,000+ for typical degrees under the HELP scheme.

What is the Child Care Subsidy and how is it calculated?
The CCS is a means-tested federal government subsidy for approved childcare services. The subsidy percentage is determined by combined family income, with higher subsidies for lower incomes. There is no longer an annual cap on the total subsidy for most families (the $10,655 cap was removed from July 2023). The CCS is applied to the lower of the provider's actual fee and the government's hourly rate cap (approximately $13.57/hour in 2025). Families must meet an Activity Test based on work, study, or training hours to access the subsidy. Centrelink processes CCS directly with childcare providers.
What is the Family Tax Benefit and do I qualify?
Family Tax Benefit (FTB) comes in two parts. FTB Part A is paid per child based on family income — for a family earning under $60,600, the maximum rate is $222.04/fortnight per child under 13. FTB Part B provides additional support for single-income families or families where one parent earns less than $100,900 — the maximum is $188.86/fortnight for a child under 5. Both parts are means-tested and income-verified at tax time. Families must lodge their tax return promptly to avoid debt arising from overpayment during the year. The ATO and Services Australia reconcile FTB entitlements annually.
How should I financially prepare before having a child?
Financial planners typically recommend three to six months of joint living expenses in cash savings before parental leave begins, accounting for the income reduction during the leave period. Beyond the emergency buffer, the most important preparation is modelling the ongoing childcare cost once leave ends and both parents return to work — the gap between gross childcare fees and CCS can be the single largest new expense in a household budget. For those planning private schooling, starting an education fund early (even $100–$200/month invested from birth) significantly reduces the lump-sum pressure at enrolment time.

// PARENTAL_LEAVE

Model your household income during parental leave before the ongoing childcare costs begin.

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// BUDGET_CALCULATOR

Build a family budget that accounts for childcare, education, and all the costs the AIFS data covers.

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General information only. Cost estimates are sourced from AIFS, ABS, and ASG benchmarks and are indicative averages. CCS rates, FTB thresholds, and childcare fee benchmarks are updated annually. Verify current rates at servicesaustralia.gov.au. Not financial advice.

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