---
title: "Countries With the Cheapest Childcare — Geo-Parity"
description: "Net cost of full-time centre-based childcare for two children as a share of a couple's disposable income, from OECD's tax-benefit model — cheapest first, OECD members only."
canonical: "https://geo-parity.com/best/countries-with-the-cheapest-childcare/"
generator: geo-parity markdown twin
---
# Where does full-time childcare take least of a couple's income?

Italy leads on share of income at 0% of income; France is last of the 15 shown at 10% of income.

Childcare is the cost that decides whether a second earner works at all, and the headline fee says little: benefits, tax relief and free-hours entitlements can take it from a third of a household's income to almost nothing. OECD's tax-benefit model nets all of that out for one standard household.

That household — a couple both earning the average wage, two children aged two and three in full-time centre-based care, claiming no social assistance — is nobody's exactly, which is what makes 22 countries comparable. The tool behind this page shows the single-parent case and the figure in local currency.

Only OECD members are modelled; the rest of the spine is absent rather than estimated. Published cost figures, for information only — a real quote decides.

| # | Country | Share of income |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [🇮🇹 Italy](https://geo-parity.com/ppp/italy/) | 0% of income | 2023 |
| 2 | [🇩🇪 Germany](https://geo-parity.com/ppp/germany/) | 1% of income | 2023 |
| 3 | [🇰🇷 South Korea](https://geo-parity.com/ppp/south-korea/) | 3% of income | 2023 |
| 4 | [🇸🇪 Sweden](https://geo-parity.com/ppp/sweden/) | 3% of income | 2023 |
| 5 | [🇭🇺 Hungary](https://geo-parity.com/ppp/hungary/) | 4% of income | 2023 |
| 6 | [🇳🇴 Norway](https://geo-parity.com/ppp/norway/) | 4% of income | 2023 |
| 7 | [🇪🇸 Spain](https://geo-parity.com/ppp/spain/) | 5% of income | 2023 |
| 8 | [🇵🇱 Poland](https://geo-parity.com/ppp/poland/) | 5% of income | 2023 |
| 9 | [🇵🇹 Portugal](https://geo-parity.com/ppp/portugal/) | 5% of income | 2023 |
| 10 | [🇨🇦 Canada](https://geo-parity.com/ppp/canada/) | 6% of income | 2023 |
| 11 | [🇬🇷 Greece](https://geo-parity.com/ppp/greece/) | 6% of income | 2023 |
| 12 | [🇨🇿 Czechia](https://geo-parity.com/ppp/czechia/) | 7% of income | 2023 |
| 13 | [🇩🇰 Denmark](https://geo-parity.com/ppp/denmark/) | 8% of income | 2023 |
| 14 | [🇯🇵 Japan](https://geo-parity.com/ppp/japan/) | 9% of income | 2023 |
| 15 | [🇫🇷 France](https://geo-parity.com/ppp/france/) | 10% of income | 2023 |

**How this is worked out:** Net childcare cost as % of household disposable income, couple both at 100% of the average wage, two children aged 2 and 3, full-time centre-based care, OECD Tax-Benefit models (DSD_TAXBEN_NCC), newest year at the vintage floor, lowest first. Refreshed 2026-09-05. Estimates for comparison, not advice.

## Check your own numbers

A ranking is a starting point, not an answer — your income, household and destination change the order. The [Childcare cost](https://geo-parity.com/expenses/?tab=childcare) runs the same engine against your own figures, and every country above links to its own page.

## Other questions

- [Where does eating well cost least?](https://geo-parity.com/best/countries-with-the-cheapest-healthy-diet/)
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- [Where does a $100k remote salary go furthest?](https://geo-parity.com/best/best-countries-for-100k-remote-salary/)
- [Where does a $50k remote salary go furthest?](https://geo-parity.com/best/best-countries-for-50k-remote-salary/)
- [Which countries cost least to live in?](https://geo-parity.com/best/lowest-cost-of-living-countries/)
- [Where would you pay the least tax on a remote salary?](https://geo-parity.com/best/lowest-tax-countries-for-remote-workers/)

---

Source: Geo-Parity — https://geo-parity.com/best/countries-with-the-cheapest-childcare/