Childcare Cost by City — Australia 2026
Average long day care fees vary by up to $50 per day across Australian cities. Here's how Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide compare — before and after the Child Care Subsidy.
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| City | Avg daily fee | Range | Weekly (5 days) | Annual (full fee) | After CCS / day | After CCS / year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🔵 Sydney | $175 | $140–$220 | $875 | $42,000 | $76 | $18,240 |
| 🔵 Melbourne | $160 | $130–$200 | $800 | $38,400 | $63 | $15,120 |
| 🟡 Brisbane | $145 | $120–$180 | $725 | $34,800 | $50 | $12,000 |
| 🟡 Perth | $140 | $115–$175 | $700 | $33,600 | $46 | $11,040 |
| 🟢 Adelaide | $130 | $110–$165 | $650 | $31,200 | $38 | $9,120 |
Sydney tends to sit at the higher end of childcare fees, especially where provider fees run well above the CCS hourly cap.
Melbourne childcare costs are often close to Sydney overall, but suburb choice makes a bigger difference than many families expect.
Brisbane usually sits below Sydney and Melbourne on childcare fees, which can make part-time return-to-work scenarios easier to justify.
Perth generally benchmarks as a more manageable childcare market than Sydney or Melbourne, though fees still vary by provider and suburb.
Adelaide usually sits at the more affordable end of major-city childcare benchmarks, which can materially improve net return-to-work outcomes.
Average fees are approximate 2025–26 figures for standard long day care. After-CCS figures assume $120,000 combined family income, 10-hour days, and the 2025–26 hourly rate cap of ~$12.08/hr. Your actual cost will vary based on your income, your provider's fees, and your activity test result.
Why do childcare fees vary so much by city?
The main driver of fee variation is commercial real estate costs. A childcare centre in inner Sydney or Melbourne pays 3–5× more per square metre in rent than an equivalent centre in Adelaide or regional Queensland. Staff wages also vary somewhat, and cities with higher demand relative to supply command premium fees. The result: a 5-day week of long day care costs around $225 more per week in Sydney than in Adelaide before the CCS.
After the CCS, the gap narrows — because the hourly rate cap means the subsidy only applies to the first ~$120.80/day, and anything above is always paid in full. This "gap fee" is larger in high-fee cities, meaning the out-of-pocket difference between Sydney and Adelaide after CCS is still approximately $38/day — or $9,100/year for a full-time place.
Regional areas
This comparison covers capital cities. Regional and rural areas in Australia generally have lower childcare fees than capital cities — but also fewer provider options. Supply constraints in regional areas can mean waitlists for subsidised places are longer, and some families in rural areas have limited access to approved care at all, which affects CCS eligibility.
How to use these numbers for planning
These figures are starting points for budgeting. To see your actual out-of-pocket cost based on your income, days per week, and provider fees, use the Return to Work Calculator. It factors in your specific CCS rate, the hourly cap, and your income tax to show your real weekly net outcome from returning to work.
For information on the types of childcare available and how they compare on cost and flexibility, see the Childcare Options comparison.