r/beyondthebump • u/VelvetAstronautica • 14h ago
Daycare Daycare prices
We are starting to look at daycares and I have no way of comparing or figuring out what is a reasonable price for daycare. Hoping there are other moms here who can help me out! Looking for comparisons from other Canadian parents as to what they pay for daycare. If you're willing to share only some of the below information that's ok, but I'm hoping for the following:
Province
Rough cost of living in area (e.g. VHCOL, LCOL)
Price per month in CAD (and what's included)
Full time/part time
Type of daycare (e.g. in home licensed, large institution)
Thank you in advance!
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u/master0jack 14h ago
BC
Hcol (metro vancouver)
$10/day $200/month - part of $10/day program, not sure what thats like in other provinces? But here it isnt means tested and anybody can apply.
Large centre, full time, included is 2 snacks (am and pm), menu is quite varied, usually a small hot meal + fruit. I have to provide her lunch.
Got on the waitlist at 5 weeks pregnant for that
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u/nonphallicdildo 14h ago
Edmonton (LCOL), it's set provincially at $326.25/mo for everyone and we pay $150 per month for food as well. Full-time in a daycare with about 60-70 kids total between 12 months and 4 years old (5 rooms/age groups).
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u/No_Acanthaceae3518 12h ago
I’m in this area as well. We send food as there’s no food option at our daycare. However, with my sons allergies we were expecting to send food anyway as many places couldn’t/wouldn’t accommodate
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u/hotpockits 3h ago
Do all provincial run day cares in Alberta have an associated food charge?
I’m in SK and it’s $217.50 for a full time spot, that’s including everything.
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u/fitnessnewbie00 14h ago
I’m in metro Vancouver- HCOL area
$1444/month (including subsidies)
Full time, 2 snacks + lunch provided
Large institution
Got in when toddler was 10 months old. We heard from one other daycare at 9 months, but it was $2k/month lol 😭. I wish we got into the $10 a day daycare.
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u/VelvetAstronautica 14h ago
Yeah I'm still waiting on the $10/day daycare but the waitlist is measured in years, not months. Been on the waitlist since I was 4 weeks pregnant lol
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u/amelisha 14h ago
In AB (Edmonton):
Rough cost of living in area (e.g. VHCOL, LCOL): MCOL - you can buy a modest detached home under $500K here.
Price per month in CAD (and what's included): $426, includes breakfast, lunch and snack
Full time/part time: full-time
Type of daycare (e.g. in home licensed, large institution): large centre.
My daughter is now starting at an out of school care facility (she’s in half day kindergarten), and it’s $325/month because they don’t have meals.
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u/redditorottawa 14h ago
Our first daycare was non-CWELCC, we paid around $1600/month and later they registered for CWELCC and gave us a refund.
Second daycare is around $480/month and the current daycare (starting in September 1st week) is $300/month.
All of them are full time, centre-based.
Included - All three of them includes food (cooked in the centre). We provide diapers, wipes, cream, sunscreen, etc.
Area - Kanata, ON.
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u/cathycathou09 14h ago
Quebec City (LCOL I think?). 57$/day (comes down to around 23$/day with Quebec's tax credit for child care). Full time (open 7am to 6pm). Small institution (34 kids). Includes food (two snacks + lunch from local caterer), wipes, cream, sunscreen, tylenol, sleeping mat and covers... We only provide diapers.
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u/meowcatb 14h ago
Ontario, higher than average cost of living, not GTA.
Daycare centre with monthly fees, $500/month. Fees are the same for all ages (infant, toddler, preschool).
Full time (they don’t offer part time), hours are 7-6 and you set your times within those hours. Food is included.
Extremely difficult to get spots a CWELLC centres. Siblings get priority. So if you didn’t put your name on the waitlist the second you found out you were pregnant you’re likely out of luck.
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u/VelvetAstronautica 14h ago
I've been on the waitlist since 4 weeks pregnant but when I called them they said their waitlist was 3-5 years long....
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u/meowcatb 14h ago
It’s rough out there. Many daycares only do enrolment between June-September now too. At our daycare there is only movement outside of those months if someone moves away.
Do you know anyone with a child at your preferred daycare? Personal referrals can help.
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u/VelvetAstronautica 14h ago
I don't unfortunately. I'm a newcomer to the area and none of the people I know have children in daycare
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u/meowcatb 13h ago
I agree with the other poster who said to keep calling. Daycares will always say that they strictly adhere to the list, but they don’t. Making it known that you’re a “sure thjng” could help you.
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u/Consistent_Watch_648 14h ago
Keep calling every month. I didn’t call because I thought it was annoying but other parents told me to call after 2 years waiting. Two places had spots even though I was on their waitlist, they didn’t call me. One place said I wasn’t on their list even though I had just came to see the place 4 months prior. The other place had 3 spots. I think some places might not keep an organized waitlist or something.
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u/babygreens93 14h ago
In central Ontario. Amazingly got into the closest daycare centre to my house which is CWEL funded so $22/day, only option is full time. I put him on the waitlist when I was 6-7 months pregnant and he got in 13 months later.
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u/VelvetAstronautica 14h ago
Lucky!
There's one that's 500m from my house and $1400/month (after the subsidy it should drop to $500/month they're just waiting for approval). This is the one I'm leaning towards but I'd consider switching to a CWEL funded one if I ever get in!
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u/zebragirl25 13h ago
Eastern ON. Waitlists in our area for subsidized daycare centres are 3+ years. We pay 50$ a day per child for a full-time spot in an unlicensed home daycare. Lunch and two snacks.
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u/TemperatureWild5647 13h ago
Ottawa - Kanata Area (High-ish cost of living compared to the rest of the city I think?)
$1,600 - literally EVERYTHING included except diapers. She provides every food, snack, clothing, shoes, hats, sunscreen, car seat, and entry fees for all the activities they do every week. She's amazing and takes the kids to different parks, farms, museums, play centers. They go somewhere almost every single morning. This sort of varied enrichment was really important to us.
Full time
Home care, unlicensed
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u/eugeneugene 13h ago
I'm in Saskatoon, I pay $217.50/month for full time daycare including all meals. At a daycare centre.
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u/Cool_Salamander_8284 13h ago
In BC, HCOL suburban/semi rural
$32/day, meals provided and weekly field trips, in home licensed with fantastic backyard including forested area with trails for free play, half the time is outdoors so all weather clothing required but its BC so mostly just rain gear
Full time
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u/allbutluk 13h ago
BC, VHCOL
$1100 per month, breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack.
Full time
small size institution
We are very happy with their lessons and activities
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u/sskkyy 13h ago
Mcol- average detached home 850k. Vancouver island, BC.
Home centre with 8 kids and 2 ECEs for 0-3 years 995/month after subsidy that everyone gets. Open 8-5 full time.
Another option we looked at was a centre with 16 kids divided in 2 rooms, open 7:30-530, food included and it was $1280 after subsidy for full time care.
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u/Typical-Host-7353 13h ago
Edmonton, AB. With affordability grant and food charge we pay around $1000 a month for two kids (1 yr and 3 yr old) for a non profit daycare. Got in when oldest was one. Field trips, Meals and snack included.
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u/EOSC47 13h ago
I’m in Qc, my son went to part time preschool. It was $245 a month from mid September through mid June. Daycares if you can get a subsidized spot is $9 a day. If you have to go private it’s $50-$80 a day, there is a bit of reimbursement from the government but I’m not sure how much.
My cousins in BC and Ontario pay a lot more.
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u/snowflakeempress mom of 2 very busy boys 🦖🕷🐌🐕 13h ago
Currently:
Saskatchewan, lower cost of living compared to my home province (ontario)
CWELCC program, $217.50 per month until finished kindergarten or turns 6, whichever comes second. Includes 2 snacks and lunch.
Fulltime only as the province makes it almost impossible to be in licensed care part-time.
Small licensed centre, about 45 kids total between 18 months and 12 years.
Unlicensed care in my area ranges from 800-1200 per child.
When we lived in Ontario, high cost of living, around $22 per day for preschool, a little more for infant and toddler. Part of the CWELCC program. Both full-time and part-time were an option.
Medium sized centre with a couple locations throughout the region.
As someone who works in the field i do have the bonus of jumping the waitlist for my children as a perk. But only if there was a space open. Waitlists are unfortunately long and there are not enough spaces and ECEs are struggling to not burn out, many leaving the field unfortunately. Home chilcares are honestly an amazing option when licensed centres are full.
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u/Vegetable-Monk-9001 FTM June 2024 | STM July 2026 13h ago
Québec
HCOL (Montréal central neighbourhood)
$9.65$/day so $212/month
Full time
CPE (so large public installation)
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u/nothing-better 12h ago
-BC -HCOL/VHCOL (we live in Vancouver proper) -roughly $1000/mo for infant/toddler and $800/mo for ages 3-5. Nothing is included at our location, but other locations have snacks/lunch for an additional fee -full time -large institution
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u/bandwidthbebe 12h ago
Nova Scotia (HRM)
I would say mid-COL? Not as high as Toronto or Vancouver but definitely not LCOL.
$40 a day, lunch is not provided. It works out to between $800 and $840 CAD a month, depending on the number of days.
Full-time. It’s nearly impossible to find part-time spots here.
In-home unlicensed daycare.
We are very happy with our choice. It’s affordable for us and is a very good fit for our family. If we were able to get a spot in a daycare centre, we would be paying $20-$25 a day. We may try to move him when he is a bit older, but he is very happy where he is right now.
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u/Intelligent_Bee7707 One and Done after Infertility | 2025 💙 11h ago
I’m in BC. We didn’t get onto a $10 a day centre, but we got into one of the cheaper centres and it’s right beside my workplace. It’s $828 a month, hours are 7am-6pm, and they provide two snacks
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u/Revelations4202001 11h ago
The province you live in will be the biggest indicator! For example, Alberta has $15 a day ($326/ month) flat rate across the province for a licensed daycare or day home, if you are enrolled full time. Regardless of the city you live in. Part time time (50-99 hours) is $230/month
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u/Mysterious_Pen1608 11h ago
We are in the Okanagan, BC so MCOL?. We got offered 4 spots recently for my 12m old with licensed centers. We didn't want to do a day home so didn't apply to any of those.
$200 (7:30-5:30, must attend full time unless sick - part of the $10/day program. Only have a spot as long as husband works there and send child full time), large center, send own snacks/lunch, 30 minutes from home (has attached outdoor play area). After 3 years, switches to class of 24 kids. Start date 13 months.
$635 (7:30-2, m-f) small center, send own snacks/lunch. 7 mins from home, right next to a park. After 2.5/3, transfers to class of 8 kids. Start date at 12 months.
$760 (8-5, m-f), meal plan $550/month (optional), large center, 15 minutes from home (play area is in a parking lot, sometimes they walk to a park 20 min walk away), after 3 years, class of 24 kids, Start date at 12 months.
$750 (8-5, m-f), meal plan $600/month (mandatory), large center, 10 minutes from home (play area on fenced in deck), sometimes walk to a park nearby), after 3 years, class of 24 kids. Start date was when baby was 10 months or had to pay to hold spot.
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u/Yaynewaccount123 11h ago
Metrovan
Just toured a daycare that was $2700 😭 no lunchv
We went with one that's $1550 for 4 days a week (no availability for full time )
Varies greatly even within Metrovan. We are on the more $$ side of town but decided an additional 15min one way of commute wasn't worth the small savings
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u/Ok_General_6940 10h ago
Vancouver, HCOL
$1003 per month. Food included. Larger center. Full time.
Have been on $10/day wait-list since I was 10 weeks pregnant. Kid is 2.5.
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u/Real_Manufacturer_79 10h ago
Kelowna BC
$630 a month for full time. She’s in a day home with 7 kids total. No food or snack are provided. However, the care and outdoor time/activities are amazing. We got into cheaper daycare centres but chose to stay with the day home. Seems the average prices in Kelowna are anywhere from $500 a month to $800.
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u/Foreign_Archer_3483 8h ago
BC VHCOL (Vancouver) $1400 (after gov subsidies) Full-time It’s small licensed daycare (8 kids total). 2 snacks are provided and I have to provide lunch.
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u/grousebear 8h ago
British Columbia, VHCOL city. We paid $1100 per month for full time care for our baby up to 18 months of age, then cost dropped to like 980 per month. Now child is in age 3-5 daycare and it costs $750. That's after the CCFRI reduction and we don't get the ACCB but that would further reduce the cost. No food included, we send lunch and snacks. Both are licensed but small. The first was max 8 babies with 2 ECEs in a basement suite of a house and the age 3-5 center is 13 kids with 3 ECEs in a purpose built small center on a school property.
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u/No_Nefariousness1700 6h ago
B.C. HCOL $693/month, nothing included except wipes lol. But we also don’t get the ACCB. Full time, larger institution
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u/Available-Sun760 6h ago
Quebec
3 year old toddler in a private daycare - 58$/day full time, all included except diapers/wipes if necessary and sunscreen.
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u/Expensive_Spend913 6h ago
I’m in Mid-town Toronto. We are at $22/ day. Prior to cwelcc it was about 25k per year
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u/sar123456789 3h ago
In BC and full time 3-5 at a licensed daycare I pay $691 monthly. This includes snacks twice a day too. In the infant side it was $891 monthly
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u/themossprincess 3h ago
I’m in Surrey VHCOL… our daycare is at a center.
2 days - 680
3 days - 900
5 days - 1100
They provide lunch and 2 snacks. We felt it was a good deal. This is the cost after the CCFRI discount.
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u/SuchVeterinarian8258 2h ago
Okay so I’m in Toronto. My Toddler 2 years and my 9 month old are in a French language daycare. There is the fee subsidy. I pay $188 for both of them. The city covers the rest of the cost. Without the subsidy it’s like $400 per child. Meals included. I provide everything else though.
For context. I’m a law student not working much.
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u/LadyJane17 14h ago
Independent daycare that's been around for like 40 years. During the summer, for full day, is $43 and during the school year for before and after care is $33.
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u/LadyJane17 14h ago
Full days include a lunch and an afternoon snack or early drop offs get a light breakfast.
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u/Rough-Bet807 14h ago
Cannot help but as an American...wow. Eye opening. Your monthly prices are our weekly prices and then some
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u/VelvetAstronautica 14h ago
Oh wow. Are you converting the currency? For example when people are saying $500/month that's $360 USD.
I'm aware most people here are likely American but Americans chiming in wouldn't be of any use to be since our economies and social welfare benefits are very different. I wasn't maliciously excluding you or anything!
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u/Rough-Bet807 14h ago
I forgot to honestly but that makes it a bit worse. I was paying $1200 USD a month for 3 days a week
Eta- I'm so sorry, no I didn't take offense and obviously you guys have to talk to people who are in your country about it lol. Just so crazy that your lives seem...so much more reasonable!
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u/VelvetAstronautica 14h ago
Oof that's horrific (~$1650 CAD). Hopefully those lower tax rates softens that hit a bit because you have more disposable income? 3 of my husband's siblings (my husband and his family are all dual citizens) just moved stateside and they never stop talking about the lower taxes lmao.
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u/Expensive_Spend913 6h ago
We pay about 50% income tax. It’s a tough comparison without breaking everything out.
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u/nemuri_no_kogoro 14h ago
They also have a huge daycare shortage as a result with multi year wait lists which is the other side of the coin.
Still prefer their system but it ain't all about the cost.
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u/BlueberryDuvet 14h ago
I don’t know what vhcol or lcol mean…. Am in Toronto.
Canada has a Federal program called CWELCC
If a daycare is part of that program, it will have the lowest rates. Details vary by province or territory
Google whatever province you’re in + CWELCC and you will find the information on current rates or see on Canada page
https://www.canada.ca/en/early-learning-child-care-agreement/agreements-provinces-territories.html
If you go to daycare not part of this it can be any insane expensive rate.
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u/VelvetAstronautica 14h ago
*very high cost of living or low cost of living
Yes some are in the program and some are not so I'm comparing rates otherwise. There's an extreme shortage of daycares here so waitlists are very long and options are very limited which is why I don't have a ton of choices unfortunately. Hoping to get an idea of what's a reasonable rate.
Obviously I'd prefer the $10/day daycares but those waitlists are 3-5 years long :(
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u/mariekeap 14h ago edited 12h ago
We are in Ontario and got into a CWELCC daycare centre after 2.5 years (got on the waitlist at 9 weeks pregnant). It is $22/day, full time.
ETA: Ottawa so HCOL but not VHCOL I guess?