'It's extortionate.' 18 parents share how much they spend on childcare in Australia.

This week, an Instagram Reel went viral after a German-based US born mum shared with her followers a copy of her annual bill for childcare in Germany. 

The cost included all meals and her total annual bill came to USD$1,856, which is about AUD$2,642 for the entire year.

This will be shocking for many Australian families who pay a similar amount for childcare every month. 

Last week, the Minister for Early Childhood Education Anne Aly said that the entire system needs to change in order to address the affordability issues. 

Watch: Anthony Albanese discusses childcare on ABC's 7.30 Report. Post continues below.

We asked our Mamamia community of parents and carers to tell us how much they pay for their kids' early education, what it includes, and where they live.

Here is what 18 of them had to say.

1. "We pay $176 a day for our three-year-old and $195 a day for our one-year-old. This is before the childcare subsidy (CCS) for a long daycare in Northern Sydney. By contrast, community preschool in the same suburb is only $4.50 a day after NSW state funding, this funding is not means tested." - Madeline.

2. "We live in the inner west of Melbourne and pay $165 a day before rebate which includes food, sunscreen, etc. It is $170 a day in the under-three rooms. Thank god for Dan Andrews' free three- and four-year-old 'kinder sessions' this year and a flexible job that enables me to juggle these times!" - Ren.

3. 'We pay $126.50 for a three-year-old per 10 hour day before CCS, and we live about 6km from CBD of Brisbane. The cost includes all food - morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and late snack; nappies/pull-ups, wipes, and sunscreen. I supplied cloth nappies when she still wore them. It will be a few dollars more per day when my second starts in the nursery room soon, but we’ll also get a higher CCS rate for our second child." - Jessica.  

4. "We pay $120 per day before the subsidy in Adelaide. The cost includes everything aside from formula if required. The centre is open 11 hours a day." - Cassandra.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 (@mother_pukka)

5. "We pay $700 for our two-year-old for five days of childcare. It includes all goods and nappies. His big brother started big school this year which is FREE! Before that it was $1,300 per week for the two of them. We live in Sydney's inner west, so the daily cost worked out to be about $130-$140 per child. We are in the privileged position of being above the threshold for CCS, but it was still a massive chunk of the family budget." - Clare.

6. "I pay $112 a day and get 50 per cent CCS so for two days I pay $112 a week. It’s a family daycare so nappies are supplied, but I supply all food. Hours are 7.45am - 4.45pm. I’m based in Wollongong so not CBD pricing but it's not exactly cheap either. I think my educator is worth every cent!" - Rach.

7. "Our two-year-old is in childcare three days a week and we pay $168 a week after rebate. It includes nappies and food and we live in regional NSW." - Natalie.

8. "I have two kids going three days a week. It costs $120-$130 each a day before CCS, so full fee would be around $750 per week. With rebates I pay just shy of $200 a week. Our second kid gets a 95 per cent rebate which is amazing. The cost includes all food and nappies. We live in Mudgee, NSW." - Myf.

9. "Our childcare costs $125 per day but we have to take nappies and meals. It's a Montessori style daycare in Perth and we get almost half back through CCS." - Asten.

10. "Sydney's Sutherland Shire daycare costs are crippling. We currently pay $440 for four days per week daycare AFTER the rebate. We aren't on huge incomes, have a massive mortgage, and getting into daycare was near impossible in the area. She only got two days at one centre even though she was on the waitlist from conception, so I had to spend my four months of maternity leave scrambling and calling centres trying to find availability for the other two days so I could return to work as planned. The kicker is that she's been off sick for approximately 50 per cent of the days since she started in November, so we're often paying over $400 for no service and I am left juggling working from home and caring for my seven-month-old daughter whilst she's sick." - Callie.*

11. "We pay $157 a day for three-year-old before CCS for a long daycare in Melbourne. Most other centres charge similar rates as far as we know. For five days with 50 per cent CCS, we pay $2,400 a month out of pocket. It's $4,000 before CCS. It’s more than the monthly mortgage for our house!" - Kim.

Listen to Mamamia's family podcast, This Glorious Mess. Post continues below.

12. "We pay $170 a day for daycare in the inner west of Sydney. We get no CCS. It is all-inclusive and to give them credit, they have a great program with soccer one day, swimming lessons another day, French lessons another day. Thankfully, we also do two days of preschool which is subsidised for us so that’s $5.50 a day. But then we use an after school nanny and that costs me $140 per day. So basically it's about $150 to $170 per day." - Sarah.

13. "I live in Melbourne and pay $148 a day each for two children, four days a week. Sadly, through a never to be repeated quirk of having many years of annual and long service leave being paid out in one go because of a redundancy, I get zero CCS. So this year I am more than $60k out of pocket!" - Cat*

14. "We are in Melbourne and pay $170.75 per day. My son attends daycare three days a week. That includes all meals. He’s no longer in nappies. So per week that’s $512.25 and per month that is $2,043. We aren’t eligible for a subsidy. And obviously we still pay that amount regardless of holidays or sickness." - Abby*.

15. "I’ve recently separated from my partner following an affair. Previously as a double income family we received 50 per cent subsidy and paid about $240 per week for four days for one child. We live in Brisbane. Now that I’m a single parent, I receive a much higher subsidy and pay about $44 per week. It is 12 hours of care and includes all food and nappies. I am so grateful to our government for the subsidy. I literally could not afford to live on my sole income if it wasn’t for the CCS and the means testing." - Beatrice*.

16. "We've just started daycare in Sydney. No eligibility to CCS... hopefully that'll change in July. We pay $130 per day. It's a subsidised childcare centre at my work. Everywhere else I visited was $180-190 per day. Our daughter goes two days per week. It includes, food, nappies, wipes and sunscreen, oh and germs are free! Week three of daycare and week three of little one being sick! I know it's important for her immunity but it sucks seeing her sick." -Jamie*.

17. "We pay $700 a fortnight for two kids both attending three days a week. That’s what we pay AFTER the CCS rebate and it’s killing us! We live in Mildura, Victoria." - Lauren.

18. "We pay $168 per day, so $840 per week for my three-year-old to attend daycare full time, this includes meals. It is extortionate! We live on the northern beaches in Sydney." - Amy*

What do you pay for childcare where you live? How do you feel about the cost? Tell us in the comments below.

*While they are known to Mamamia, some women have chosen to remain anonymous for privacy reasons.

Laura Jackel is Mamamia's Family Writer. For links to her articles and to see photos of her outfits and kids, follow her on Instagram and TikTok.

Feature Image: Getty.