SG Parent Guide

Early-Years Childcare Cost Calculator (SG)

Updated 25 Oct 2026 · SG Parent Guide Editorial Team
Short answer

This calculator projects what you would pay out of pocket for full-day infant care and childcare from age 2 months to Primary 1. It subtracts your estimated subsidy from the official ECDA fee caps and can offset the Baby Bonus Cash Gift. The result is illustrative.

On this page (4 sections)

Set your operator type, working status and household income to project the out-of-pocket preschool fees for the early years, net of subsidy.

Tool

Early-years preschool cost projector

Government-supported operator
Main applicant
Use infant care first (age 2–18 months)?
Offset the Baby Bonus Cash Gift?
Estimated out-of-pocket preschool fees S$0
  • Infant care — net per monthS$0
  • Childcare — net per monthS$0
  • Baby Bonus Cash Gift offsetS$0

Illustrative estimate, before GST and the minimum co-payment — confirm fee caps and subsidies at ECDA.

Based on ECDA fee caps & subsidies. As of October 2026.

How it is calculated

Preschool is usually the biggest early-years cost, and it is the part with official figures. The projector uses:

  • Fee caps at government-supported centres, before GST, for Singapore Citizen children (from 1 Jan 2026): full-day childcare S$610 (Anchor) or S$650 (Partner); full-day infant care S$1,235 (Anchor) or S$1,290 (Partner).
  • Subsidy for your household, using the same ECDA Basic + Additional logic as the childcare subsidy calculator.
  • Net monthly fee = fee cap − estimated subsidy, floored at zero (before GST and the minimum co-payment).
  • Duration — a modelling assumption of about 16 months of infant care (age 2–18 months) and about 54 months of childcare (18 months to age 6), which you can switch on or off. These month counts are assumptions, not official figures.
  • An optional Baby Bonus Cash Gift offset (S$11,000 for the 1st/2nd child, S$13,000 from the 3rd).

A worked example (illustrative)

An Anchor Operator family, working main applicant, gross monthly household income S$8,000, using infant care then childcare:

  • Infant care: S$1,235 cap − S$840 subsidy (S$600 + S$240) = S$395/month × 16 months = S$6,320.
  • Childcare: S$610 cap − S$490 subsidy (S$300 + S$190) = S$120/month × 54 months = S$6,480.
  • Projected preschool out-of-pocket: about S$12,800 over the early years (before any Cash Gift offset).

This example is illustrative.

Limits of this estimate

  • It covers preschool fees only — not food, nappies, enrichment classes, healthcare, insurance or a helper.
  • Fee caps apply to government-supported (Anchor/Partner) centres; private centres have no cap and cost much more.
  • The duration figures are modelling assumptions; your child’s actual months in care will differ.
  • It ignores GST, the minimum co-payment, fee changes over time and the fee reductions announced for 2028–2030. Confirm current caps and subsidies at ECDA.

General information, not financial advice. Figures are illustrative; confirm fee caps and subsidies with ECDA.

Sources

  1. Anchor Operator Scheme (AOP) fee caps — Early Childhood Development Agency (as of October 2026)
  2. Overview of the infant and childcare subsidy scheme — Early Childhood Development Agency (as of October 2026)
  3. Baby Bonus Scheme — Made For Families (Government of Singapore) (as of October 2026)