Average Cost of Daycare in Canada by Province
Parents paid an average of $435 a month for full-time centre-based care in 2025, down from $663 in 2022. Here is what daycare costs in each province and territory, and how the $10 a day system changes the bill.
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How much does daycare cost in Canada?
The average cost of daycare in Canada was $435 a month in 2025 for full-time centre-based care for children aged 0 to 5, according to Statistics Canada. Costs range from about $206 a month in Prince Edward Island to $571 in British Columbia, and fees keep falling as provinces move toward $10 a day child care.
What is the average cost of daycare in Canada?
Statistics Canada's 2025 Survey on Early Learning and Child Care Arrangements found that parents paid an average of $435 a month for full-time centre-based daycare for children aged 0 to 5. That is down from $508 in 2023 and $663 in 2022. Full-time home-based care averaged $534 a month in 2025.
These are averages across all arrangements, licensed and unlicensed, inside and outside the $10 a day system. A family with a funded spot may pay far less, while a family paying full market rates at a centre outside the program can pay much more. Full time here means 30 hours or more a week.
Figures checked October 2026; confirm current numbers with Statistics Canada.
How much is daycare by province?
Daycare cost by province depends mostly on each government's fee policy under its Canada-wide early learning and child care agreement. Several provinces now charge $10 a day or a flat monthly fee at participating licensed centres, while Ontario caps fees at $22 a day and British Columbia combines $10 a day centres with fee reductions elsewhere.
| Province or territory | Fee policy at participating licensed care | Average monthly expense, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $10 a day since January 2023 | $242 |
| Prince Edward Island | $10 a day flat at Early Years Centres and licensed family homes since January 2024 | $206 |
| Nova Scotia | Fees reduced under the federal agreement; check the province for current rates | $383 |
| New Brunswick | Fees reduced under the federal agreement; check the province for current rates | $386 |
| Quebec | $9.65 a day at subsidized daycare in 2026, indexed each January | $348 |
| Ontario | Maximum $22 a day, average about $19 a day | $542 |
| Manitoba | $10 a day for 4 to 10 hours at funded facilities | $264 |
| Saskatchewan | $217.50 a month for 10 or more days, or $10 a day, for children under six | $260 |
| Alberta | $326.25 a month full time (100+ hours), $230 part time (50 to 99 hours) | $452 |
| British Columbia | $200 a month maximum at $10 a Day centres; reductions of up to $900 a month at other participating centres | $571 |
| Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut | Fees reduced under the federal agreements; check the territorial government | $280, $352, $293 |
According to Employment and Social Development Canada, eight provinces and territories were delivering regulated child care at an average of $10 a day or less by December 2025, and every jurisdiction had cut fees by at least half. Averages above $10 a day reflect families outside the program, extended hours, part-day fees and unlicensed care.
Fee policies checked October 2026 on each provincial government's site; they change often, so confirm with your province before budgeting.
What is $10 a day child care?
$10 a day child care is the federal goal, set in the Canada-wide early learning and child care agreements, to bring regulated child care for children under six down to an average of $10 a day. Ottawa funds the provinces and territories, which lower parent fees at participating licensed centres and family homes.
- It is an average, not a guarantee. Some provinces charge exactly $10 a day; others use a cap or a flat monthly fee that works out higher.
- Only participating, licensed care. Unlicensed caregivers and centres that have not opted in can charge market rates.
- Spaces are limited. Statistics Canada found 50% of parents using child care reported difficulty finding it in 2025, and 31% of parents of children not in care said their child was on a waitlist.
- Families do not apply for the fee. The reduction is built into the fee at a participating centre. Income-tested subsidies can lower it further.
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How much is daycare in Ontario?
In Ontario, participating licensed providers can charge a maximum of $22 a day since January 1, 2025, which brought the average to about $19 a day. Canada and Ontario agreed to keep fees at that average until December 31, 2026. Statistics Canada's 2025 average for full-time centre care in Ontario was $542 a month.
Ontario's survey average is higher than the cap alone suggests because it covers every arrangement, including centres outside the Canada-wide system, extended hours and unlicensed care. Ontario families with children can also receive the Ontario Child Benefit, which helps with these costs.
Worked example: what a year of daycare costs
Here is the arithmetic for one child in full-time care at a participating centre, using each province's published fee policy. Real bills vary with the number of operating days, extended hours and any optional fees, so treat these as a starting point.
| Province | Monthly fee | Calculation | Yearly cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario, at the $22 cap | $462 | $22 times 21 weekdays | About $5,544 |
| Alberta | $326.25 | Flat full-time fee | About $3,915 |
| Saskatchewan | $217.50 | Flat fee for 10 or more days | $2,610 |
| British Columbia, $10 a Day centre | $200 | Monthly maximum | $2,400 |
The yearly figure is the monthly fee times 12. An Ontario family paying $462 a month spends about $3,100 a year more than a family in a BC $10 a Day centre: $5,544 minus $2,400 is $3,144. Child care is usually the biggest single cost of a young child, which is why our guide to the cost of raising a child in Canada treats it separately.
How to budget for daycare
- Find your province's fee policy and ask your centre for the exact monthly fee, including extended hours and optional charges.
- Add registration costs and any summer or school-age care you will need later.
- Subtract monthly benefits. The Canada Child Benefit calculator estimates your federal payment.
- Keep receipts. Child care expenses can be deductible on your tax return, generally claimed by the spouse with the lower net income.
- Set child care as its own budget line and review it each September, when many centres adjust fees or ages change.
If you are planning around a parental leave, the maternity leave calculator helps you see the gap between leave income and the month daycare starts. EMOH Pay, free on iPhone, Android and the web, lets both parents share a child care budget with separate logins, scan daycare receipts and get alerts before the line is overspent. For a full family plan, start with the budget calculator.
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Get started free➜Average Cost of Daycare in Canada by Province: frequently asked questions
Is daycare really $10 a day everywhere in Canada?
No. $10 a day is a national average target. Several provinces charge $10 a day at participating centres, but Ontario caps fees at $22 a day and Alberta uses a flat monthly fee. Unlicensed care and centres outside the program can charge more.
Why is daycare in British Columbia more expensive on average?
BC had the highest 2025 average at $571 a month because many families still use centres outside the $10 a Day program, where fees are reduced rather than capped at $10. Fee reductions there can be as much as $900 a month for infants and toddlers in group care.
How much is daycare for an infant compared with a preschooler?
Market rates are usually highest for infants because of staffing ratios. At participating centres in provinces with a flat $10 a day fee, the parent fee is the same for both, but in BC the fee reduction is larger for children under 36 months.
Do I need to apply for reduced daycare fees?
Usually not. Reduced fees are built into what participating licensed centres charge. Income-tested subsidies, such as BC's Affordable Child Care Benefit, require a separate application.
Can I claim daycare on my taxes?
Child care expenses paid so you can work or study can be deductible on line 21400 of your return, usually by the spouse with the lower net income. Keep every receipt and check the CRA's limits for your child's age.
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