What childcare costs in Spain by option

Key rules

• Public nursery: Fees depend on your region and income, and some families pay nothing.
• Private nursery: Each centre sets its own fee, and many bill 11 or 12 months a year.
• Nanny: You pay at least the household-employee minimum wage plus Social Security.
• Extras: Lunch, extended hours and enrolment can add significantly to the base fee.
• City: Large expensive cities cost clearly more than smaller or inland ones.

The short answer

Public nurseries are the cheapest option, private nurseries cost more, and a full-time nanny is usually the most expensive. Where you live changes the price a lot. Use the ranges below to set a budget, then get local quotes. The figures are typical 2025 levels, and prices rise most years.

Public nursery

A public or municipal escuela infantil (for ages 0-3) is free in some places and for some families. The Basque Country and Galicia have schemes that make places free for some families, and some regions offer free places to low-income households.

Elsewhere, the base fee depends on your income:

• Typical middle-income families pay about 100-250 EUR a month.
• The top income bracket pays roughly 300-400 EUR a month.

These base fees come before meals. Each region or town hall publishes its own yearly fee table, so ask where you plan to live. Public fees depend more on your region's scale than on the size of your city.

Private nursery

Private centres set their own fees. Typical monthly base fees are:

• Smaller cities: about 250-300 EUR.
• Most large cities: about 350-550 EUR.
• Premium or bilingual centres in Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao: up to 700-900 EUR.

Many centres charge 11 or 12 months a year, so do not assume summer is free. Ask whether August is billed.

Nanny

A full-time nanny (cuidadora) costs more than a nursery in most cases, and the price varies with the city, the hours, whether she lives in, and her experience. Live-in and experienced nannies cost more. Rates are usually higher in Madrid, Barcelona, the Basque Country and the Balearic Islands than in smaller cities.

If you employ a nanny, you must pay at least the household-employee minimum wage, which the government sets each year. You also pay Social Security on top of her pay. Market rates are often above the minimum. Check the current minimum with the Ministry of Labour and ask local agencies what they charge.

Extras on top of the base fee

Extras can add a lot to the monthly figure. Typical amounts:

• Enrolment or registration: about 50-300 EUR, once a year.
• School materials: about 30-150 EUR a year.
• Lunch: about 80-150 EUR a month, or 4-7 EUR a day.
• Extended hours (early morning or afternoon): about 30-100 EUR a month.
• Diapers, wipes or activities: sometimes charged separately.

Each centre sets its own extras. Ask for a full written price list before you enrol.

How city changes the price

Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, San Sebastián and Palma are clearly more expensive than smaller or inland cities and towns. This affects private nurseries and nannies most, because of local wages and rents. For public places, check your region's fee table instead.

Build your budget

1. Pick the option you are considering and take its range for your city size.
2. Add lunch, extended hours and the yearly fees, divided by 12.
3. Check how many months a year you will pay.
4. Replace the ranges with real quotes from two or three centres or agencies.

The calculator below helps you add this up.

Monthly childcare budget calculator

Work it out

What you enter

• Number of children needing childcare (children): Your own household: count the children who will attend nursery or share the nanny.
• Monthly public nursery fee for your income bracket (EUR): The fee table published by your region or city council for your per-capita income.
• Discount on each extra child (sibling or large family) (%): The nursery's admission rules or your town hall; enter 0 if there is no discount.
• Monthly private nursery fee per child (EUR): The price list or written quote from the private nursery for your hours.
• Monthly extras per child (meals, extended hours, materials) (EUR): The nursery's price list or enrolment paperwork.
• Nanny's gross monthly salary, paid in 14 payments (EUR): Your draft contract; it must be at least the current household minimum wage for your hours.
• Employer Social Security cost per month (EUR): The current contribution table from the Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social (TGSS) for your nanny's salary band.
• Number of families sharing the nanny (families): Your agreement with the other families; enter 1 if the nanny works only for you.

Figures used

• Salary payments per year: 14 payments (as of 2025)
• Months in a year: 12 months

Worked example (with Number of children needing childcare 2 children, Monthly public nursery fee for your income bracket 150 EUR, Discount on each extra child (sibling or large family) 50 %, Monthly private nursery fee per child 450 EUR, Monthly extras per child (meals, extended hours, materials) 80 EUR, Nanny's gross monthly salary, paid in 14 payments 1,184 EUR, Employer Social Security cost per month 330 EUR, Number of families sharing the nanny 2 families)

When the sum misleads

• Nursery fees are often charged 11 or 12 months a year; ask the nursery which, and adjust the fee if it differs.
• The nanny figure includes the two extra payments spread over 12 months; if the contract already includes them in monthly pay, enter the monthly salary as 12 payments' worth divided by 14.
• Hours matter: a nanny working fewer hours than full time has a lower salary, so enter the salary for your actual hours.
• Nanny costs shared between families do not drop in proportion if children need different hours; agree the split in writing first.

Check the current fee table with your regional education department or city council, and the current Social Security amount with the TGSS, before relying on the result.

Frequently asked questions

Do private nurseries charge for all 12 months of the year?

Yes, many private nurseries charge 11 or 12 months a year, so budget for the full year unless the centre says otherwise. Some centres also add a separate charge for August.

What extras come on top of the base nursery fee?

Typical extras are lunch at about 80-150 EUR a month and extended hours at about 30-100 EUR a month. Enrolment is about 50-300 EUR once a year and materials about 30-150 EUR a year. Some centres also charge separately for diapers, wipes or activities.

Can a public nursery be free?

Yes, public nurseries can be free for some families, for example under Basque Country and Galicia schemes or for low incomes. Middle-income families typically pay about 100-250 EUR a month, and the top income bracket pays roughly 300-400 EUR.

Are nursery and nanny costs higher in big cities?

Yes, costs are clearly higher in large cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, San Sebastián and Palma than in smaller or inland towns.