Bringing an au pair into your home is one of the most flexible — and most budget-sensitive — childcare choices a family can make. Unlike daycare, which charges per child and per hour, an au pair swaps a private bedroom and weekly pocket money for up to 45 hours of in-home care each week. But the headline "live-in childcare" promise hides four separate cost lines, and families who only budget the stipend are usually caught off guard by the annual program fee and travel bill.
This au pair cost calculator stacks every line item — weekly stipend, room and board, program fee, and travel/insurance — into one annual total, then breaks it down to a monthly equivalent and compares it against the daycare rate you would otherwise pay. Adjust the sliders and every figure updates instantly, so you can stress-test whether hosting an au pair actually saves your family money before you commit to an agency.
How to Use
- Enter the Weekly Stipend you plan to pay. Under the US State Department au pair program, the minimum is roughly $195.75 per week, and most families land between $195 and $250.
- Set your estimated Room and Board cost per month. This is not the spare bedroom itself — it is the incremental grocery, utility, and upkeep cost of feeding and housing another adult, usually $300–$500.
- Type the annual Program Fee your chosen agency charges. Established US agencies typically bill $7,500–$10,000 per year up front.
- Add Travel and Insurance for the year, covering the au pair's round-trip flight, SEVIS fee, and mandated health insurance — usually $1,000–$2,000.
- Adjust Weeks Hosted if you do not need a full 52-week placement. A shorter stay lowers the stipend line but the program fee is often charged regardless.
- Enter the Daycare Monthly Rate you are comparing against. The calculator annualizes it and shows the dollar difference.
The result card lists each annual cost line, the total annual au pair cost, the smoothed monthly equivalent, and a final "Annual Savings vs Daycare" figure. A positive number means the au pair is cheaper; a negative number means daycare wins on price.
How the Au Pair Budget Is Built
There is no single national au pair price because the cost is the sum of four independent decisions you and your agency make. The calculator simply annualizes each line and adds them:
- Stipend — paid weekly directly to the au pair. It is the largest recurring cash outflow and scales with how many weeks you host.
- Room and board — a real economic cost even if it does not leave your bank account, because an extra adult eats roughly $300–$500 of groceries and utilities each month.
- Program fee — the agency's one-year charge for matching, vetting, support, and legal compliance. It is paid up front and does not change with the stipend you choose.
- Travel and insurance — the au pair's flight, visa/SEVIS fees, and the minimum $200,000 medical coverage the US program requires.
Using the defaults — $200/week stipend, $400/month room and board, $8,000 program fee, $1,500 travel, and 52 weeks — the stipend alone is $10,400 per year, room and board adds $4,800, and the program fee plus travel bring the total to $24,700 per year, or about $2,058 per month. Against a $1,500/month daycare bill ($18,000/year), that default case actually costs $6,700 more than daycare — which is why running your own numbers is essential before assuming an au pair is always cheaper.
Au Pair vs Daycare: When Does It Actually Save Money?
The breakeven depends almost entirely on how many children you need care for and how many hours you need covered. A family with one toddler in a $1,500/month center will often find the au pair program fee wipes out the savings. A family with two or three children, where daycare easily tops $2,500–$3,500/month, flips the math: the au pair cost stays roughly fixed while the daycare bill climbs with each additional child.
The au pair also bundles benefits daycare does not price in: flexible evening and weekend hours, no sick-day closures, no holiday blackout weeks, and a built-in cultural exchange for your kids. If you rely on irregular shifts, live more than 20 minutes from the nearest center, or need coverage outside the standard 9-to-6 window, the au pair's effective value per hour is higher than the raw dollar comparison suggests.
Examples
Example 1 — The default US placement. A family hosts an au pair for 52 weeks on the $200/week minimum stipend, budgets $400/month for room and board, pays an $8,000 agency program fee, and spends $1,500 on flights and insurance. The calculator returns a $10,400 stipend line, $4,800 room and board, and a $24,700 total annual cost, equal to about $2,058 per month. Compared with a $1,500/month daycare ($18,000/year), the au pair is about $6,700 more expensive on paper — but covers far more hours and weekend coverage.
Example 2 — A two-child family flips the math. The same $24,700 au pair total, but daycare for two children runs $2,800/month ($33,600/year). The "Annual Savings vs Daycare" line now reads $8,900 in favor of the au pair. This is the scenario where live-in care clearly wins on price, in addition to the flexible-hours benefit.
Example 3 — A partial-year summer placement. A family only needs 12 weeks of coverage around a working parent's travel schedule. The stipend drops to $2,400, room and board to roughly $1,200, and even with the full $8,000 program fee and $1,500 travel, the annual total is about $13,100 — but the program fee is the dominant cost, which is why short placements rarely pencil out against daycare.
FAQ
How much does an au pair cost per year in the US?
A typical US au pair placement costs between $20,000 and $30,000 per year, depending on your stipend, agency, and living costs. With the default values — $200/week stipend, $400/month room and board, $8,000 program fee, and $1,500 travel — the annual total is about $24,700, or roughly $2,058 per month.
Is an au pair cheaper than daycare?
It depends on how many children you have. For a single child in a $1,500/month center, the au pair program fee often makes live-in care slightly more expensive. For two or more children where daycare exceeds $2,500/month, the au pair usually becomes the cheaper option because the program fee is fixed regardless of how many kids you have.
What is the minimum au pair stipend in the US?
Under the US State Department au pair program, sponsors are required to pay at least the local minimum wage averaged over a standard week, which works out to roughly $195.75 per week (based on a 45-hour work week). Many families choose to pay $200–$250 to improve retention and satisfaction.
What extra costs are not included in the weekly stipend?
The stipend is only the cash pocket money. You also pay the agency program fee ($7,500–$10,000/year), the au pair's round-trip airfare and SEVIS/insurance costs ($1,000–$2,000), and the real economic cost of room and board (groceries, utilities, a private bedroom). This calculator adds all four lines so you see the true annual budget.
Can I deduct au pair costs on my taxes?
In the US, a portion of au pair expenses may qualify for the Child and Dependent Care Credit if the care enables you and your spouse to work, but the au pair must be legally authorized and you must withhold payroll taxes. The credit is capped and phases out at higher incomes. Confirm your exact situation with a tax professional; this calculator does not model tax savings.
How long do au pairs usually stay?
Most au pairs stay a full 12 months (52 weeks), with the option to extend 6, 9, or 12 more months. Short 1–3 month summer placements exist but are rare, and because the agency program fee is charged annually, shorter stays rarely save money on a per-month basis.
Disclaimer
This au pair cost calculator is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, immigration, or legal advice. Estimates are based on the inputs you enter and typical US au pair program ranges; actual stipend rules, agency fees, travel costs, and tax treatment vary by sponsor agency, state, and family situation. Always confirm current program requirements, the required stipend, and your tax obligations directly with a licensed au pair agency and a qualified tax professional before making a decision.