Childcare costs in Hong Kong
In 2026, HK$5,100–6,336 a month for a live-in foreign domestic helper and HK$8,000–20,000 a month for a private English-medium nursery. Hong Kong does not subsidise childcare for most families and has very few nursery places for babies. Checked 21 September 2026.
What it has instead is a live-in helper on a government minimum wage, which is why the helper is the default for expat families with two jobs and the nursery the exception.
General information, not financial advice; prices are estimates.
What each route costs
| Type of care | What the figure is |
|---|---|
| A live-in foreign domestic helper | HK$5,100–6,336 a month |
| A private English-medium nursery | HK$8,000–20,000 a month |
| A registered child care centre | no published figure |
- A live-in foreign domestic helper
- The minimum allowable wage of HK$5,100 a month for contracts from 30 September 2025, plus the HK$1,236 food allowance if you do not provide meals. On top come insurance, the return flight, the visa, and an agency fee of several thousand dollars if you use one; a helper living in also needs a room of her own, which in a Hong Kong flat is the real cost.
- A private English-medium nursery
- The nurseries in the expat districts that take babies under two. Waiting lists are normal and deposits are taken in pregnancy.
- A registered child care centre
- The Social Welfare Department's day child care centres take children from birth to under 3 at government-approved fees, with fee remission for low-income families. Places are few, and most are Cantonese-medium, which is why they rarely feature in expat plans.
3 things that change the figure
- The minimum allowable wage and the food allowance are reviewed every September; the figures here are the ones set on 30 September 2025 and may already have moved.
- A helper's visa normally takes about 4 to 6 weeks after all the documents are in, longer if she is coming from overseas.
- The Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme is means-tested and for registered centres only; private nurseries are outside it.
Where these figures come from
Figures for 2026, checked 21 September 2026. Each one is reviewed on its own timetable rather than on a single date in the year.
See it dated from your own due date — free, nothing is sent to us