Childcare costs in Singapore for a foreign child
Singapore does not refund a share of what you pay. The ECDA subsidies that cut infant care fees for citizen children do not apply to a foreign child, so you pay the centre's full fee — and most expat families weigh that against a live-in helper or, for the first month, a confinement nanny. In 2026 that is S$1,900–2,600 a month for full-day infant care, unsubsidised and S$2,500–3,500 a month for a confinement nanny for the first 28 days. Checked 21 September 2026.
General information, not financial advice; prices are estimates.
What each route costs
| Type of care | What the figure is |
|---|---|
| Full-day infant care, unsubsidised | S$1,900–2,600 a month |
| A confinement nanny for the first 28 days | S$2,500–3,500 a month |
| A live-in domestic helper | no published figure |
- Full-day infant care, unsubsidised
- Centre-based care from 2 to 18 months, five days a week. Citizen children get the Basic Subsidy of up to S$600 a month and up to S$710 more if the mother works and household income is under S$12,000; a foreign or PR child gets neither, and no Paperbump figure here applies one. Waiting lists of six months or more are normal.
- A confinement nanny for the first 28 days
- Lives in for the first month. The fee is for 28 days, plus the S$35 work permit, a S$300 monthly levy when the baby is not a citizen, and the customary red packets.
- A live-in domestic helper
- The route most expat families with two jobs end up on. You sponsor the work permit and pay a salary, a monthly government levy, insurance and food and lodging. The levy concession for families with a young child is for a citizen child, so a foreign family pays the standard rate. There is no published minimum salary, which is why no figure is given here.
Three things that change the figure
- ECDA subsidies follow the child's citizenship: a foreign child pays the full published fee, whatever the parents earn.
- A confinement nanny's levy is S$300 a month for a non-citizen baby and S$60 for a citizen one.
- Infant care starts at 2 months, about three weeks before twelve-week maternity leave ends, so the dates usually line up.
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.
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