How much does a baby cost per month: work out your own figure
Averages on the internet say little about your family. Your own figure takes one evening to work out.
In short
The monthly cost of a baby is made of regular spending — formula or food, nappies, clothes, toiletries, medicine, childcare — plus occasional big purchases like a pram, cot and car seat, which are worth dividing by twelve. Work it out with your own prices, add any drop in income during parental leave, and you have the real figure. Before the birth, it helps to live for a few months as if those costs already existed and save the difference.
"How much does a baby cost?" gets asked twice: before the birth, and when money suddenly starts running out early. The answer depends on the city, the child's age and the family's habits, so a way to work out your own figure is more useful than an average.
What the costs are made of
Food
Formula, purées, then normal meals
The main regular cost
Hygiene
Nappies, wipes, creams
Especially the first two years
Clothes and shoes
Outgrown every season
Bought more often than yours
Health
Doctor, medicine, check-ups
Whatever public care does not cover
Childcare, activities, sitter
Depending on age
Can become the biggest cost
Big purchases, divided by twelve
Pram, cot, car seat; later, uniforms, a backpack and school supplies. These are large amounts that do not come every month. Add them up for the year and divide by twelve — that figure is part of the monthly cost too.
Do not forget income
The biggest "cost" of the first year is often not spending at all, but lower income: parental leave, part-time work, one parent stepping back for a while. Work out what will really come in each month and build the budget on that.
How to work it out for your family
- List a month's regular costs at your own prices.
- Add up the year's big purchases and divide by twelve.
- Add the drop in income, if there will be one.
- Compare the total with what you have left each month after all costs today.
If the gap is not covered, close it in advance: by saving before the birth and reviewing the big items. With a child, an emergency fund matters even more: emergency fund.
A trial month before the birth
The best test is living for a few months as if the costs already existed: move the calculated amount to a separate account. If you manage, the budget can take it — and you build a reserve for the first purchases along the way.
How it looks in the app
In Caudal create a "Baby" category with subcategories — food, hygiene, clothes, health, childcare — and after a couple of months the report shows the real cost at your prices, not someone's average. If you add family members in Family, you can see who spends what and on what. Big purchases for the birth can go in the Wishlist with their months: the app tells you which months need more set aside than usual. How to set up the whole family budget: family budget with children.
Common questions
- How much does it cost to raise a baby per month?
- It depends on age, city and the family's habits, so averages help little. Add up regular costs — food, nappies, clothes, health, childcare — at your own prices, plus the year's big purchases divided by twelve.
- What does a baby cost in the first year?
- One-off purchases — pram, cot, car seat, clothes to grow into — and regular costs: formula or food, nappies, toiletries, medicine and check-ups. Often the biggest change of the first year is lower income during parental leave.
- How do I prepare my budget for a baby?
- Work out the future costs and the drop in income, then for a few months before the birth move that amount into a separate account. It tests whether the budget holds and builds a reserve for the first purchases and the emergency fund.
Try it on your own money
Caudal is an expense tracker in Spanish, English and Russian. Several currencies, goals, debts, a shared household budget. Recording an expense takes three seconds.
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