Where does your city land on the parenting-cost ladder? Real 2026 estimates, birth to age 18.
Parenting costs vary enormously by city — sometimes by more than 4× between the cheapest and most expensive places in our dataset. Below is a transparent ranking of 10 major global cities, using our modeled 2026 estimates for a moderate lifestyle with public education, one child, birth to age 18.
| # | City | Cost to raise a child (0–18, moderate, public) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo, Japan | $180,000 |
| 2 | Shanghai, China | $200,000 |
| 3 | Seoul, South Korea | $220,000 |
| 4 | Sydney, Australia | $230,000 |
| 5 | Toronto, Canada | $240,000 |
| 6 | Dubai, UAE | $260,000 |
| 7 | Hong Kong, China | $260,000 |
| 8 | London, UK | $270,000 |
| 9 | Singapore, Singapore | $280,000 |
| 10 | New York, USA | $380,000 |
The spread comes from three drivers: housing (the biggest category, 18%–30% of total, driven by needing an extra bedroom), education (12%–22%, and far higher if you choose private school), and local services like healthcare and childcare. Cities with high rent and weak public childcare support sit at the top; cities with subsidized housing or generous family policy sit at the bottom.
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In our 10-city set, New York is the lowest-cost, at about $380,000 USD for a moderate, public-school, single child from birth to 18.
Seoul tops the set at roughly $220,000 USD for the same profile.
Housing and education dominate. High-rent cities plus weak public childcare push totals up; cities with subsidized housing or strong family policy keep them down.
No — this ranking uses public education. Adding private/international schooling raises costs by roughly 35%–75% depending on the country (highest in Singapore and the Gulf).
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