Singapore Child Care Cost Calculator 2026

Singapore citizen children in licensed centres receive the Basic Subsidy, and lower- and middle-income working mothers can also receive the Additional Subsidy, which is means-tested on gross monthly household income. Both are paid to the centre and reduce the fee you are billed, so the amount you actually transfer is lower than the headline fee.

Infant care covers roughly two to 18 months and requires far higher staff-to-child ratios, so fees are typically around double those for a preschool place. The step down when a child moves into childcare is one of the larger changes in a young family's budget.

Yes. Anchor Operator and Partner Operator centres work under government fee caps, so they are generally cheaper than private centres. Private and international preschools sit well above those caps, which is why quoted fees for the same age band vary so widely.

Registration and deposit at enrolment, uniforms, insurance, school bus, meals where not included, enrichment classes and field trips. These are easy to miss when comparing centres because they are rarely in the advertised monthly figure.

No. Subsidy depends on citizenship, the mother's working status and hours, household income and the centre's operator category. Only ECDA and your chosen centre can confirm what you will receive — treat this as a planning estimate.