Bringing a newborn home is a moment of joy, but the financial reality can be sobering. Across Europe, the price of nappies, formula, clothing, and transport gear varies dramatically, and when measured against local wages, the burden can be crushing or barely noticeable.
A new analysis by Remitly, based on prices from July 2026, calculated the annual cost of 14 essential items for a baby's first year in 38 European countries. The total ranges from €2,813 in the United Kingdom to €6,294 in Spain, with a European average of €4,727.
Where the bills pile up
Spain tops the list, followed closely by the Netherlands (€6,140), Finland (€6,066), Sweden (€6,025), and Switzerland (€6,018). In the €5,000–€6,000 band sit Luxembourg (€5,665), Italy (€5,609), Lithuania (€5,563), Albania (€5,532), Serbia (€5,509), Montenegro (€5,500), Portugal (€5,337), Slovakia (€5,221), Norway (€5,079), and Iceland (€5,004).
Among the five largest EU economies, the UK is the cheapest, while Germany (€4,701) and France (€4,393) hover near the average. At the lower end, parents in Czechia (€3,211), Romania (€3,385), Latvia (€3,392), Croatia (€3,661), Bulgaria (€3,804), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (€3,844) face the smallest nominal bills.
What drives the costs
The composition of spending varies widely. On average, clothing takes the biggest slice (30.3%), followed by baby formula (25.7%) and nappies (24.5%) – together accounting for 81% of the total. Across all countries, parents spend an average of €1,465 on clothing, €1,187 on formula, and €1,152 on nappies.
But the mix is far from uniform. In Denmark, clothing represents just 16% of costs, while in Sweden it soars to 52.5%. Formula accounts for a mere 10.8% in Sweden but 41.3% in Latvia, and nappies range from 12.4% in Turkey to over 36% in Switzerland and Belgium.
Wages matter more than prices
Nominal prices tell only part of the story. Remitly compared the cost of essentials with average annual wages, using International Labour Organization data adjusted for inflation. Across 36 countries, baby essentials consume an average of 20.9% of an annual salary.
The gap is stark. In Belgium, the share is just 5.4%, while in Moldova it reaches 88.8%. Parents in Albania (66%), Turkey (45.1%), Montenegro (45%), Serbia (41.4%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (36.1%), Portugal (35.7%), and Hungary (34.7%) spend at least a third of their yearly income on baby basics.
At the other extreme, the share falls below 10% in Luxembourg (6%), Denmark (6.7%), the UK (7.5%), Norway (7.6%), Ireland (8%), Switzerland (8%), Germany (8.1%), Austria (8.2%), France (8.5%), Malta (8.9%), and the Netherlands (9.4%).
Childcare: the hidden extra
These figures exclude nursery and crèche fees, which can be a far heavier burden. According to the OECD, gross childcare costs for two children in 2023 reached €64,211 in Switzerland and €39,229 in the Netherlands – the highest in the EU – while in Germany they were just €552.
Net costs, after government support, vary even more. A single-earner family in Switzerland pays €10,200, while a two-earner couple pays €27,551. In some countries, subsidies bring net costs below €5,000, as recent reporting on family support has highlighted.
The data underscores a broader point: the cost of raising a child is not just about shelf prices. It is a function of wages, social policy, and the availability of affordable care. For many European families, the first year of parenthood is a financial tightrope – and the safety net varies enormously from one country to the next.
