One of the first questions families with children relocating to Switzerland ask themselves is
“What does daycare cost in Switzerland?”
In this article, we will help you understand what childcare in a daycare center in Basel, Zürich, or Geneva costs so you know what to expect and avoid surprise costs.
What does childcare cost in Basel, Zürich, and Geneva, in Switzerland?
Is your family relocating to Switzerland, and wondering what daycare costs? The total monthly fee a daycare center / Kita in Switzerland charges, depends on a few factors:
- The canton, city, and village you live in,
- The number of days your child attends daycare,
- Your child’s age (under 18 months, up to kindergarten age, or above kindergarten age),
- Your eligibility for childcare subsidies, and whether you have chosen a private, or city-owned daycare center.
Price of daycare in Basel: What does daycare / Kita cost in Basel?
In daycare centers / Kitas with cantonal childcare contributions (Kita mit Betreuungsbeiträge) in Basel, a full-time place for all parents costs a maximum of CHF 1,600 per month. This includes the introduction period, diapers, meals, activities, drop-off and pick-up services, etc.
Daycare centers / Kitas without cantonal childcare contributions (Kita ohne Betreuungsbeiträge) in Basel, can set their own prices. There are currently only 5 out of 126 daycare centers in Basel, that do not eligible for cantonal childcare contributions.
You can find the list of daycare centers, and check their eligibility, in the official Basel-Stadt directory, here:
https://ed-kinderbetreuung.edubs.ch/directories/kinderbetreuung
Price of daycare in Zürich: What does daycare / Kita cost in Zürich?
There are two types of daycare / Kitas in Zürich: city Kitas managed by the city of Zürich (Stadteigene Kitas) and private Kitas (private Kitas). The main difference between city owned and private Kitas is that city-owned Kitas charge lower daycare fees, especially for infants under 18 months.
All city owned Kitas charge the same daily rates.
Private Kitas in Zürich charge different rates depending on the child’s age, the Kita’s location, and the available facilities. Private Kitas also charge registration fees and deposits.
Most private Kitas charge a registration fee of between CHF 100-500. The average deposit ist between CHF 300 and 1,500. The deposit will be credited at the end of the childcare period.
Some private Kitas in Zürich additionally charge up to CHF 1,000 to reserve a spot before enrollment. This enrollment fee is only refunded after the introduction period is completed.
We strongly recommend checking with your preferred Kitas to get clarity on their terms and conditions.
Monthly costs in private Kitas in Zürich
Our research, in which we analyzed prices of 80 private Kitas in Zürich, showed the following average daily rates:
– Infants under 18 months: Average daily rate CHF 149
– Children over 18 months old: Average daily rate CHF 131
This means, that if your child attends a private daycare / Kita in Zürich full-time, the costs of childcare will be:
Infants under 18 months old: (CHF 149 * 5) * 4.2 weeks = CHF 3,129 per child, per month.
Children over 18 months old: (CHF 131 * 5) * 4.2 weeks = CHF 2,751 per child, per month.
We recommend you inquire about monthly rates and invoicing directly with the Kitas you have selected.
Monthly costs in city owned Kitas in Zürich
In all city owned Kitas, parents pay a maximum of CHF 120 per day, regardless of the child’s age.
With full-time attendance, this means:
(CHF 120 * 5) * 4.2 weeks = CHF 2,520 per child, per month.
Important: Keep in mind that the above fees do not take cantonal childcare subsidies (Subventionen) into consideration.
Price of daycare in Geneva: Daycare / Kita / Crèche fees in Geneva:
You can find the income-dependent fee tables (PDF documents) for daycare in Geneva here:
geneve.ch/themes/structures
Daycare centers in Geneva offer parents a discount of 50% for the second child and a free spot for the third child in the family.
General information about daycare prices and conditions in Switzerland
How do daycare centers in Switzerland invoice?
Most daycare centers in Switzerland require families to sign a one-year contract and invoice twelve equal monthly payments.
Your chosen daycare center will not reduce the monthly fee in cases of absence or when you take your child out for holidays. The justification for this is that families are not charged based on their child’s attendance but rather for their child’s reserved daycare spot.
Cost of Childcare in Switzerland: What is included?
Included in the monthly fee are excursions, meals, diapers (some daycare centers in Zürich add a surcharge for diapers), and care products.
For young children, you are required to provide baby formula and/or baby food.
Do daycare centers in Switzerland charge for the introduction period?
Most daycare centers / Kitas in Switzerland charge an additional fee for the standard two-week introduction period. There are some differences between the cantons.
Basel-Stadt: Daycare centers in the canton of Basel-Stadt that are eligible for childcare contributions are not allowed to charge an additional fee for the introduction period, a registration fee, or a fee to reserve a spot on their waiting list.
Basel-Landschaft: Daycare centers in the canton of Basel-Landschaft do charge for the introduction period. Check with your preferred provider.
Zürich: Allmost all private Kitas in Zürich charge a fee for the introduction period. In our experience, most private Kitas in Zürich either charge a fixed additional fee or around 50% of the regular daily rate for the two-week introduction period.
We recommend checking with your preferred provider to get clarity on their terms and conditions.
Siblings attending the same daycare center
Most daycare centers offer parents a discount of around 10-15% for the second or third child visiting the same daycare center. Some even offer a free spot to the third and youngest child of the same family.
Discounts vary between cantons and individual daycare centers.
What are childcare subsidies?
Childcare subsidies are financial aid towards childcare costs. The cantons of Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, Zürich, and Geneva all offer some form of childcare subsidies to families with children attending a daycare center.
Basel-Stadt: Almost all Kitas in Basel-Stadt (121 out of 126) are eligible for income dependent childcare subsidies.
Zürich: The majority of private Kitas in the city of Zürich, and all city owned Kitas, offer several spots that are eligible for income dependent subsidies.
Childcare contributions are based on several eligibility criteria. The canton, or your local municipality, determines your eligibility based on a few factors, such as how much you work (in Switzerland referred to as your “work percentage”), your income, and your assets.
Families can submit an application for childcare contributions to the relevant local government department.
Information about childcare subsidies in Basel:
- Information about childcare and childcare contributions:
- English application form:
More information and contact:
Basel daycare advice and placement center
FachstelleTagesbetreuung- Beratungs- und Vermittlungsstelle
Freie Strasse 35 4051 Basel
Email: beratung.tagesbetreuung@bs.ch
Tel: 0041 61 267 46 14
Information about childcare subsidies in Zürich:
Information about childcare and childcare contributions:
More information and contact:
Zürich Education and Sports Department
Schul- und Sportdepartement
Parkring 4
8002 Zürich
Tel: 0041 44 413 85 85
Information about childcare subsidies in Geneva:
Information about childcare and childcare contributions:
More information and contact:
Geneva Early Childhood Information Office (BIPE)
Schul- und Sportdepartement
24 Avenue Dumas
1206 Genève
Email: admin.sdpe@geneve.ch
Tel: 0041 22 418 81 00
Is your family relocating to Basel, Zürich, or Geneva?
Are you looking for the best daycare?
It is important to learn about the available childcare options and understand the cost of childcare in Switzerland.
Get in touch if you have questions, and learn how we can help your family.
