Childcare cost in Singapore (2026)

In Singapore, full-day childcare typically costs S$664.90 to S$708.50 a month (2026) for a Singapore Citizen child at a government-supported centre, including 9% GST and before subsidy. Infant care costs S$1,346.15 to S$1,406.10. After subsidies, working families can pay much less, and lower-income households as little as S$3 a month.

How much does childcare cost in Singapore in 2026?

At Anchor Operator centres, full-day childcare for a Singapore Citizen child is capped at S$610 a month before GST, or S$664.90 with GST. Partner Operators are capped at S$650, which is S$708.50 with GST. Infant care caps are roughly double.

These are ECDA fee caps for Singapore Citizen children, in force from 1 January 2026, before any subsidy. PCF Sparkletots and Skool4Kidz both publish S$664.90 for full-day childcare, which is the Anchor Operator cap plus 9% GST. The other GST-inclusive figures in the table are our own calculation at 9%.

Caps apply to Singapore Citizen children only. Permanent resident and foreign children pay more, and private centres outside the two schemes set their own fees. We have not included a private-centre range because we could not check enough published price lists to give one fairly.

What is the difference between Anchor and Partner Operators?

Both are government-supported schemes that cap fees for Singapore Citizen children. Anchor Operators have the lower cap, S$610 a month for full-day childcare. Partner Operators are capped at S$650 and need ECDA approval for any fee rise within that cap.

ECDA's five Anchor Operators are PCF Sparkletots (PAP Community Foundation), My First Skool (NTUC First Campus), MY World Preschool (Metropolitan YMCA), Skool4Kidz (Kinderland Educare Services) and E-Bridge Pre-School (EtonHouse International).

The current Partner Operator term runs from 2026 to 2030 and covers 380 centres run by 33 operators. A Partner Operator cannot raise fees for citizen children above the cap, and any increase within the cap needs ECDA approval. Partner Operators also have half-day caps: S$490 for childcare and S$920 for infant care, before GST.

How much subsidy can you get?

Singapore Citizen children in childcare get a Basic Subsidy of S$300 a month if the main applicant works, or S$150 if not. Working families earning S$12,000 a month or less can also get an Additional Subsidy of up to S$467 for childcare.

• To count as working, the main applicant (the mother, or a single father) must work at least 56 hours a month.
• The Additional Subsidy is for households earning S$12,000 a month or less. Households of five or more can qualify on a per capita income of S$3,000 or less instead.
• Since 9 December 2024, families earning S$6,000 a month or less (or S$1,500 per capita or less) get full childcare subsidies whether or not the main applicant works.

The Additional Subsidy shrinks as income rises. Third-party tables for middle-income tiers disagree with each other, so use ECDA's own figures or a subsidy calculator, such as the one My First Skool publishes, to find your exact amount.

What will you actually pay after subsidy?

It depends on household income and whether the main applicant works. The lowest-income families pay a minimum co-payment of S$3 a month, and that minimum rises with income. Higher-income working families still receive the S$300 Basic Subsidy for childcare.

ECDA gives a worked example: on a S$740 monthly fee, a household earning S$3,000 or less receives S$737 in total subsidy and pays S$3. MSF's own example, as reported by My First Skool, is a household earning S$12,500 with two children in Anchor Operator childcare, which pays S$730 in 2026 and S$470 in 2027 once the higher income ceiling applies.

What changes the price?

Six things move the monthly bill: your child's citizenship, the type of operator, the child's age, full or half day, one-off fees and your household's subsidy. Citizenship and subsidy usually make the biggest difference.

• Citizenship: at PCF Sparkletots, full-day childcare is S$664.90 for a citizen, S$910.15 for a permanent resident and S$1,277.48 for a foreign child, all with GST.
• Operator type: the Anchor Operator cap is S$610 and the Partner Operator cap is S$650 before GST. Private centres are not capped.
• Age: infant care (2 to 18 months) costs about twice as much as childcare (18 months to 6 years).
• Half or full day: Skool4Kidz charges S$501.40 for half-day childcare and S$664.90 for full day for a citizen child, with GST.
• Registration fee: PCF Sparkletots charges S$87.20 at childcare and early years centres and S$54.50 at dual service centres. Skool4Kidz caps its fee at S$87.20 with GST.
• Subsidy: household income, family size and the main applicant's working hours decide how much comes off the fee.

What changes in January 2027?

From 1 January 2027, the income ceiling for the Additional Subsidy and KiFAS, the kindergarten fee assistance scheme, rises from S$12,000 to S$15,000 a month, and all income tier thresholds will be updated. MSF expects more than 60,000 families to benefit.

My First Skool reports that the per capita income ceiling for larger households will rise from S$3,000 to S$3,400. This page uses 2026 fee caps, so ask your centre whether its fee will change in 2027.

Which childcare providers did we include, and what do they charge?

We list the five Anchor Operators named by ECDA. PCF Sparkletots and Skool4Kidz publish full 2026 price lists. My First Skool states the cap on its own site, and the other two are bound by the same cap, so we mark them as price on enquiry.

Each listing below shows the services offered, the published price and where it comes from.

How do you check a centre's fee before enrolling?

Ask the centre in writing for its monthly fee with GST, its registration fee and any other charges, then confirm whether it is an Anchor Operator, a Partner Operator or a private centre. That tells you which cap, if any, applies.

Next, work out your subsidy from ECDA's figures, remembering that it depends on the main applicant's working hours as well as household income. If your income is close to S$12,000 or S$15,000 a month, check which ceiling applies on your enrolment date.

Frequently asked questions