Nursery fees in 2026
Short answer: in England, a full-time nursery place (50 hours a week) for a child under 2 costs an average of £148.82 a week for working parents getting 30 funded hours, down 39% on 2025. Families who don’t get funded hours pay an average of £188.75 a week for 25 hours. Private nurseries charge a median of about £8 an hour for under-2s, and childminders about £6. Inner London is the most expensive region.
Updated 4 November 2026, from Coram’s Childcare Survey 2026 and DfE’s 2025 survey of childcare providers. Averages hide big local differences: check what settings near you charge.
Average weekly cost in England
Full time (50 hours a week) at a nursery, for families getting 30 funded hours and paying for 20:
| Child’s age | 2026 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 2 | £148.82 | £238.95 | −39% |
| 2-year-olds | £140.72 | £225.70 | −39% |
| 3 and 4-year-olds | £132.72 | £126.94 | +6% |
The falls for under-3s come from funded hours rising from 15 to 30 a week in September 2025. Three and four-year-olds already had 30 hours, so their price rose.
Nursery or childminder
| England, child under 2 | Nursery | Childminder |
|---|---|---|
| 50 hours, with 30 funded | £148.82 | £122.32 |
| 25 hours, not eligible for funded hours | £188.75 | £155.28 |
| 25 hours, eligible for funded hours | Free in term time, apart from optional extras | |
| Median hourly fee (DfE, 2025) | £8.00 | £6.00 |
By region
- 25 hours, under 2, not eligible: highest in Inner London at £238.01, lowest in Yorkshire and the Humber at £156.15.
- 50 hours, under 2, with funded hours: Inner London £185.10, Yorkshire and the Humber £126.38.
- 50 hours, 3 and 4-year-olds: Inner London £179.13, North East £116.64.
Scotland and Wales
The 30 funded hours for under-3s are England only, so prices there haven’t fallen. Coram found 25 hours at a nursery for a child under 2 averages £133.08 in Scotland (up 5%) and £166.33 in Wales (up 8%).
What parents actually pay
- Term time only. Funded hours cover 38 weeks a year. Stretched across the year, 30 hours becomes about 22 a week, so parents pay for more hours each week.
- Extras. Meals, nappies and trips can be charged, but charges linked to funded hours must be voluntary. See chargeable extras.
- Tax-Free Childcare. The government adds £2 for every £8 parents pay in, up to £2,000 a year per child (£4,000 for a disabled child). See GOV.UK.
- Funding rates paid to settings are set by each council. See early years funding 2026 to 2027.
For settings: showing your fees
Parents compare settings on price first, and since funded hours expanded they want to know what they’ll pay after the funded hours. In our study of 530 London nursery websites, 41% showed no prices we could find and 27% said nothing about funded hours.
- Show your daily or hourly rates for each age group, and what’s included.
- Show a worked example: what a family using funded hours pays for a typical week.
- List your chargeable extras and say they’re optional where they must be.
- Say whether you offer funded hours term time only or stretched.
- Date the page and update it each April when rates change.
Questions
How much does nursery cost in 2026?
In England, Coram’s Childcare Survey 2026 puts the average cost of 50 hours a week at a nursery for a child under 2 at £148.82, for families getting 30 funded hours and paying for 20. Families who aren’t eligible pay an average of £188.75 a week for 25 hours for a child under 2.
How much is nursery per hour?
DfE’s survey of providers found the median parent-paid fee at private nurseries for under-2s was £8.00 an hour in 2025. Childminders charged a median £6.00 an hour for under-2s and 2-year-olds. Prices vary a lot by area.
Is nursery cheaper with funded hours?
Yes. Coram found the average 50-hour week for a child under 2 fell by 39% between 2025 and 2026, from £238.95 to £148.82, because funded hours for eligible working parents rose from 15 to 30 a week. Funded hours are for 38 weeks a year, so holiday weeks cost more unless the hours are stretched.
Where is nursery most expensive?
Inner London. For families not eligible for funded hours, 25 hours a week for a child under 2 averages £238.01 there, against £156.15 in Yorkshire and the Humber, the cheapest region.
Do nurseries have to publish their fees?
DfE’s funding guidance says settings offering funded hours should publish their chargeable extras, such as meals and consumables. Showing your fees isn’t a legal requirement, but it’s the thing parents most want to know. In our study of 530 London nursery websites, 41% showed no prices we could find.
Can nurseries charge for funded hours?
Not for the hours themselves. Settings can charge for extra hours, meals and consumables, but charges for consumables and activities must be voluntary for funded hours, and deposits must be refundable. See our early years funding guide for the detail.
Sources
- Childcare Survey 2026 (PDF), Coram Family and Childcare, March 2026
- Providers’ finances: evidence from the 2025 Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers, DfE, May 2026
- Tax-Free Childcare, GOV.UK
More guides: all our guides for nurseries, childminders and schools.
Can parents find your fees?
Run our free checker to see whether your website shows fees, funded hours and extras. Or send us your setting’s name and a person will look within two working days.
Check my website