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First-Year Baby Costs Calculator

BabyCenter Staff
Written by BabyCenter Staff | Sep 9, 2022

How much does it cost to have a baby?

The answer depends on many factors, including where you live, whether you'll pay for childcare, and which baby products you choose. Still, this Baby Costs Calculator can help you get a sense of how much you're likely to spend during your baby's first year. Change the amounts and selections below to get a customized estimate.

Baby cost calculator icon

Your baby's first year may cost around:

Total cost: $15,775

Ongoing costs

ChildcareOpens a new window

I'll pay for childcare:

$

/m

x

m

I'll use an occasional babysitter:

$

/m

x 12 months
Subtotal of childcare: $6,525

DiaperingOpens a new window

I'll be using:
x 12 months
Wipes

$

/m

x 12 months
Subtotal of diapering: $1,104

FeedingOpens a new window

Formula. I'll spend

$

/m

x

m

Solid food. I'll spend

$

/m

x

m

Subtotal of feeding: $2,043

ClothingOpens a new window

I'll probably spend

$

/m

x 12 months
Subtotal of clothing: $984

Saving toward future/collegeOpens a new window

I'll probably spend

$

/m

x 12 months
Subtotal of saving toward future/college: $900

Healthcare expensesOpens a new window

I'll probably spend

$

/m

x 12 months
Subtotal of healthcare expenses: $0

ToiletriesOpens a new window

I'll probably spend

$

/m

x 12 months
Subtotal of toiletries: $108

Toys, books, and other mediaOpens a new window

I'll probably spend

$

/m

x 12 months
Subtotal of toys, books, and other media: $156
Subtotal of ongoing costs: $11,820

One-time costs

We've selected products we think you'll need and included an average price for each item. Adjust this list based on what you plan to buy and how much you expect to spend.

GearOpens a new window

Infant car seatOpens a new window

$

Convertible car seatOpens a new window

$

Basic strollerOpens a new window

$

Double strollerOpens a new window

$

Jogging strollerOpens a new window

$

Play yardOpens a new window

$

Baby carrierOpens a new window

$

Diaper bagOpens a new window

$

Subtotal of gear: $878

Activity equipmentOpens a new window

Baby swingOpens a new window

$

Baby bouncer or rockerOpens a new window

$

Baby activity centerOpens a new window

$

Baby play matOpens a new window

$

Baby play gymOpens a new window

$

Subtotal of activity equipment: $556

NurseryOpens a new window

CribOpens a new window

$

Crib mattressOpens a new window

$

Crib sheetsOpens a new window

$

Changing table and padOpens a new window

$

Diaper pailOpens a new window

$

Glider or rockerOpens a new window

$

BassinetOpens a new window

$

HamperOpens a new window

$

Crib mobileOpens a new window

$

Baby monitorOpens a new window

$

Sound machineOpens a new window

$

Subtotal of nursery: $1,387

FeedingOpens a new window

Bottles and nipplesOpens a new window

$

HighchairOpens a new window

$

UtensilsOpens a new window

$

Plates and bowlsOpens a new window

$

Sippy cupsOpens a new window

$

Burp clothsOpens a new window

$

Bottle brushesOpens a new window

$

BibsOpens a new window

$

Subtotal of feeding: $436

BreastfeedingOpens a new window

Electric breast pumpOpens a new window

$

Manual breast pumpOpens a new window

$

Nursing pads, milk storage bags, and other suppliesOpens a new window

$

Nursing brasOpens a new window

$

Nursing pillowOpens a new window

$

Subtotal of breastfeeding: $382

Bathing and groomingOpens a new window

Hooded baby towelOpens a new window

$

Baby bathtubOpens a new window

$

$

Baby grooming kitOpens a new window

$

Baby shampoo and washOpens a new window

$

Subtotal of bathing and grooming: $190

Health and safetyOpens a new window

Babyproofing suppliesOpens a new window

$

First-aid kitOpens a new window

$

Safety gateOpens a new window

$

PacifiersOpens a new window

$

HumidifierOpens a new window

$

$

$

Subtotal of health and safety: $126
Subtotal of One-time costs: $3,955
First year total: $15,775

Our methodology

We started with the major ongoing expenses parents face in the first year - such as childcare, feeding, diapering, savings, and clothing - and researched costs for each.

To estimate the cost of childcare, we relied on the results of a survey of 307 parents who utilize paid childcare (full-time or part-time care). The survey was conducted by our parent company, Everyday Health Group Pregnancy & Parenting, between August 8 and 21, 2022.

For other ongoing expenses, like formula, diapers, clothes, and toiletries, we calculated how much parents would need of each item in the first year and priced the costs out, using an average based on the most popular brands among BabyCenter parents.

Though healthcare costs are a significant part of many families' budgets, they vary so widely that we weren't able to include an accurate average cost. We left that number at $0 in our calculator so that you can adjust it to align with your expected healthcare premiums and copays.

For one-time costs like baby gear and nursery items, we utilized our editors' expertise to create a list of commonly purchased items for a baby's first year. We selected a representative product within each category that we know is popular among the BabyCenter Community (many are even Best of BabyCenter award winners). We then averaged the retail market price of each item at three major retailers during the week of August 23, 2022 to get our final cost.

The recommendation to save $75 each month for investing toward the future/college would mean you save $16,200 by time your baby turns 18 (and potentially more if you invest these funds or use a high-interest savings account). This amount won't cover the cost of tuition for a four-year college, but would provide some funds to help your child pursue their dreams.

Please keep in mind that all of these costs can differ significantly based on where you live and what you need (for example, childcare costs vary significantly across the United States, and specialized formulas are much more expensive). The prices in this tool are just meant to be estimates.

Read more:
How to financially prepare for a new babyOpens a new window
Top baby costs, and how to saveOpens a new window
Used baby gear: What's safe, what's notOpens a new window
The best sites and apps for secondhand baby gearOpens a new window
Sources

BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies.

Everyday Health Group Pregnancy and Parenting. 2022. Cost of Raising a Child Survey. https://www.babycenter.com/presscenter/common-baby-expenses-inflation_40009826 [Accessed August 2022]

BabyCenter Staff
BabyCenter Staff
Content that appears under this byline was created by members of the BabyCenter Editorial team.
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