Childcare

Daycare, nanny or childminder? Monthly costs, and when you become an employer

Daycare: CHF 1'100–3'130/month, depending on subsidy
Childminder: CHF 11.50 per child and hour
Nanny, 3 days/week: CHF 3'400/month for all children

Salvador JovellsUpdated on 25 September 20264 min read

What does each type of care cost per month?

Set children and care days. Daycare and childminding families charge per child, a nanny is one wage for all children.

Children

Care days per week3 days

Daycare (Kita)CHF 1'320 - CHF 3'000

about CHF 1'320 with a subsidy, about CHF 3'000 without, depending on income and municipality, per month

Childminding family (association)CHF 2'390

CHF 11.50 per child and hour, association tariff before subsidy, 8 hours per day, per month

Nanny in your homeCHF 3'400

CHF 28 gross per hour, 8 hours per day, with holiday pay and employer contributions (canton of Zurich). You are the employer., per month

Daycare: reference values per child for a full-time place (2025 daycare tariffs), pro rata by days. Childminding family: tariff of Tagesfamilien Zürcher Oberland. Nanny: the same calculation as the Clino payslip, 2026 rates.

Next question: what exactly does the nanny cost, with a 13th salary and pension fund?

Calculate the exact nanny cost →

Woman going through papers at the kitchen counter with a girl beside her, children’s drawings on the fridge — With a nanny you are the employer; with daycare or a childminder you are not.

With one child, daycare is usually cheapest; from two or three children the nanny catches up. What many parents miss: with a nanny, you are the employer.

Nanny example: 3 days of 8 hours at CHF 28 gross in the canton of Zurich. Daycare: cantonal tariffs 2025 (kibesuisse, BSV). Childminding family: tariff of Tagesfamilien Zürcher Oberland. Nanny: 2026 contribution rates (AHV leaflet 2.06), calculated as on a payslip.

Which option fits when?

Daycare (Kita)

One child, fixed working hours, a group of peers. Tariffs are subsidised by income almost everywhere. Downsides: opening hours, waiting lists, and a sick child stays at home.

Childminding family

A small group in a family, more flexible than daycare, often the cheapest for one child part time. Through an association, the association is the employer, and many municipalities subsidise the tariff.

Nanny

Two or more children, irregular hours, care even when a child is ill. One market-rate nanny wage for all children, but you are the employer with every duty that comes with it.

From kindergarten on, the sums change: lunchtime, free afternoons and school holidays. What is left to cover is in School and childcare by age. Already employ a nanny? Here is how to adjust her hours fairly.

Could an au pair or a babysitter work instead? All five types of childcare side by side, with a four-question test.Go to the full childcare comparison

When you are the employer

It is not the price that decides, but where the care happens and who employs the carer:

Nanny or au pair in your home: you are always the employer and register them with the AHV, from the first franc. Occupational accident insurance from the first hour, non-occupational accident cover from 8 hours a week.
Childminder in your home: as with a nanny, you are the employer.
Childminder in her home: through an association, the association is the employer. Privately and only for your family, she usually counts as your employee until the compensation office recognises her as self-employed.
Daycare: you pay an invoice and are not an employer.

The details on a private childminder are in Private childminder. Daycare tariffs by canton and the future daycare allowance are in Childcare costs in Switzerland.

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper: daycare or a nanny?

For one child almost always daycare, especially with a subsidy: often about CHF 1'100 for a full-time place, CHF 2'200 to 3'130 without. A nanny costs one wage whether she looks after one child or three, about CHF 3'400 a month for 3 days in the canton of Zurich. From two or three children and without a subsidy, a nanny can be cheaper than several daycare places.

From what age can my child go to daycare?

Most daycare centres take children after maternity leave, some only from a few months. Daycare usually ends when the child starts kindergarten. After that, day schools, after-school care or a childminding family take over.

Do I have to register my nanny with the AHV?

Yes, from the first franc, whatever the wage. Exceptions in a private household: teenagers up to the end of the year they turn 17, and young employees up to the year they turn 25 earning at most CHF 750 a year (unless they ask for contributions to be paid); from retirement age a contribution-free allowance applies. On top come accident insurance from the first hour and an employment contract.

Is a childminder cheaper than a nanny?

With one child, usually yes: a childminding family through an association charges for example CHF 11.50 per child and hour, before subsidy. A nanny costs more per hour, but for all children together. From three children and full days the two come close; the calculator above shows your case.

Can I deduct childcare from my taxes?

Yes, if both parents work or are in training and you have a receipt (invoice or payslip). For federal tax up to CHF 25'800 per child and year, in the cantons between CHF 8'000 and CHF 27'300. The nanny tax deduction calculator shows what the deduction actually saves with a nanny in your canton.

Sources

Daycare tariffs 2025: krippefinden.ch, kibesuisse, BSV (no official table for all 26 cantons)
Tagesfamilien Zürcher Oberland: tariff without subsidies (tfzo.ch)
AHV leaflet 2.06, domestic work (ahv-iv.ch); 2026 contribution rates
BSV, directives on the relevant wage (WML) marginal nos. 4113 to 4114: childminders

Learn more

Childcare Costs Switzerland 2026Read article

Private childminder: employer, AHV and notificationRead article

Au pair or nanny: difference, costs and rules 2026Read article

Nanny Salary Switzerland 2026: CHF 3'800–6'500/moRead article