Centre-based childcare is usually cheaper in cash than employing a live-in migrant domestic worker, but the services are not equivalent. Preschool is a developmental programme charged per child during centre hours. A helper is a household employee whose cost includes salary, levy, insurance, healthcare, food, accommodation and legal responsibilities.
Full-day fee caps for Singapore Citizen children
| Preschool type | Full-day childcare | Full-day infant care |
|---|---|---|
| Anchor Operator | S$610 | S$1,235 |
| Partner Operator | S$650 | S$1,290 |
| Other licensed centre | Centre’s published fee | |
These 2026 caps exclude GST and are not final net prices. Registration, uniforms, enrichment, meals and late collection may sit outside programme fees. Obtain a written schedule from the centre.
Who receives preschool subsidies?
Basic and Additional Subsidies apply to Singapore Citizen children in eligible ECDA-licensed infant-care or childcare centres. For a full-day programme, the working-applicant Basic Subsidy is S$300 for childcare and S$600 for infant care. Means-tested Additional Subsidy can apply where household income is no more than S$12,000 a month, or per-capita income no more than S$3,000 for a qualifying household of at least five members.
Maximum total subsidies and minimum co-payments vary by tier. For childcare, published maximum total subsidy runs from S$767 at the lowest tier to the S$300 Basic Subsidy above the income ceiling. For infant care it runs from S$1,310 to S$600. Working status and special-approval rules can change the outcome. Use ECDA’s assessment and the logged-in LifeSG estimate rather than treating a table as an entitlement calculator.
Two transparent net-fee examples
For a working-applicant household with S$10,000 monthly income, an Anchor Operator childcare place at the S$610 cap becomes S$664.90 if 9% GST applies. After a maximum S$430 subsidy in the applicable tier, the programme-fee balance is about S$234.90, before extras.
At the same income, infant care at the S$1,235 cap becomes S$1,346.15 with GST. After a maximum S$700 subsidy, the estimated programme-fee balance is S$646.15.
What a live-in helper actually costs
Salary is negotiated and contractual; MOM does not prescribe an MDW minimum wage, although declared salary and source-country or agency requirements matter.
| Cost | Current rule or treatment |
|---|---|
| Salary | Negotiated; paid monthly and on time. |
| Levy | S$300 for the first helper; S$450 for subsequent helpers; S$60 concessionary rate when eligible. |
| Work Permit | S$35 application plus S$35 issuance. |
| Insurance | Employer must buy compliant medical and personal-accident cover. |
| Security bond | S$5,000 guarantee for a non-Malaysian helper; contingent exposure, not automatically a S$5,000 expense. |
| Agency and placement | Commercial quote; request employer fee and placement-loan cash flow separately. |
| Living and medical costs | Food, accommodation, toiletries, medical examinations and care. |
| End of employment | Employer bears required repatriation costs. |
Required medical insurance must provide at least S$60,000 annual inpatient and day-surgery cover. Personal-accident insurance must have at least S$60,000 sum assured. Confirm current policy details and exclusions.
Illustrative monthly helper budget
This assumes an S$800 salary, one eligible Singapore Citizen child below 16, weekly rest days taken, and a S$2,000 agency fee spread over 24 months. Household allowances are choices, not official tariffs.
| Item | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Salary | S$800 |
| Concessionary levy | S$60 |
| Food and household supplies | S$300 |
| Phone and local transport | S$60 |
| Insurance allocation (sample S$520 ÷ 26 months) | S$20 |
| Routine medical reserve | S$20 |
| Repatriation or home-travel reserve | S$50 |
| Agency-fee allocation | S$83 |
| Illustrative total | S$1,393 |
The insurance input uses a March 2026 commercial example, not a statutory price; replace it with the chosen policy quote. Without levy concession, replacing S$60 with the S$300 first-helper levy raises the model to S$1,633 a month. It still excludes the value of sleeping space, higher utilities, unexpected medical costs and any unrecovered placement loan.
Employer duties are part of the cost
The employer must provide adequate food, accommodation, privacy, medical care and insurance; pay salary in full and on time; and bear levy, compulsory medical, insurance and repatriation costs. A helper generally works only for her employer at the residential address declared to MOM and cannot work for another employer. Care at a relative’s home for the employer’s child or parent is allowed only after notifying MOM and meeting MOM’s conditions.
MOM requires one rest day each week, with at least one per month that cannot be exchanged for payment. Work on another mutually agreed rest day requires at least one additional day’s salary. The employer should document employment terms and keep emergency capacity beyond the planned monthly reserve.
Announced changes are not current prices
From 1 January 2027, MSF has announced a higher Additional Subsidy household-income ceiling of S$15,000 and revised tiers. The Government has separately announced government-supported preschool target fees to be introduced progressively from 2028. Do not use future targets in a 2026 budget; check the implementation rules when they take effect.
For one child, subsidised centre care usually has the lower cash cost. A helper provides different coverage and can support shift work, multiple dependants and household tasks, but also creates a live-in employment relationship.
Related guides
Primary sources
- ECDA — Anchor Operator fee caps
- ECDA — Partner Operator fee caps
- ECDA — Household-income assessment and subsidy tables
- MOM — Migrant domestic worker levy rates
- MOM — Domestic worker salary guidelines
- MOM — Domestic worker Work Permit application and fees
- MOM — Domestic worker insurance requirements
- MOM — Domestic worker security bond
- MOM — Domestic worker rest days and well-being
- MOM — Domestic worker employment rules
- Income — March 2026 commercial helper-cost example
- MSF — Committee of Supply 2026 preschool announcements
- Made For Families — National Day Rally 2026 announcements
- IRAS — Current GST rate
Last fact-checked: 3 September 2026. Rules, fees and official pages can change; check the linked source before acting.