How much does a baby's first year cost? 2026 data
A baby's first year in the US cost about $20,400 on average in 2025, and closer to $29,000 once full-time day care is counted (BabyCenter Cost of Raising a Baby survey). The range — more than double between the minimum and the maximum — depends on three factors: the gear you choose, recurring costs like nappies and feeding, and where you buy. Buying online, on your own, lowers the minimum by about 30%. Knowing where the money goes is the first step to not wasting it: here are the numbers, item by item.
How much does a newborn's first year really cost?
The benchmark figure comes from BabyCenter's survey of 1,399 US mothers: about $20,400 in the first year, with child care alone around half of it. LendingTree puts a full year with full-time day care nearer $29,000. The gap between the two figures isn't random: it's the sum of many small choices — the brand of the gear, the type of nappies, breastfeeding or formula, secondhand or new.
It's a cost that hits hard partly because it's concentrated at the start: most of the gear is bought before the birth. That's why getting organised early — and getting help with a baby registry — makes a real difference to your wallet.
The main spending categories of the first year
First-year spending splits into two big blocks: one-off costs(gear and the baby's wardrobe, which you buy once) and recurring costs(nappies, feeding, hygiene, which come back every month). Here's how they break down.
| Type of expense | What it includes | When it weighs |
|---|---|---|
| Gear | Stroller, crib, car seat, pram, changing table | One-off, mostly before the birth |
| Baby wardrobe | Bodysuits, sleepsuits, accessories for sleeping and changing | One-off, replaced as the baby grows |
| Nappies | Disposable or reusable, wipes | Recurring, every month all year long |
| Feeding | Formula, then weaning | Recurring, varies with how you feed |
To build the baby's wardrobe without forgetting anything — or buying the unnecessary — there's our essential baby wardrobe checklist; on nappies, we explain the difference between disposable and reusable in how to choose nappies.
Which products are the most expensive?
The priciest one-off pieces are the gear. At US list prices, a crib runs about $500, a travel system about $400, a bassinet around $300, an infant car seat $275 and a changing tray $90. Added together, they easily top $1,500 — just for the basic gear.
These are exactly the gifts that are hard for a single guest to take on, and this is where group gifting changes everything: several people cover the stroller or the car seat together. We cover it in the guide to group baby registries.
How to cut first-year spending
It's not about going without, but about spending smarter. Three levers make the biggest difference to the yearly total.
- Buy online where it pays off: online prices on gear are routinely well below specialty-store shelf prices.
- Use a baby registry: it avoids duplicates (ten size-0 bodysuits and zero car seats) and directs gifts toward the items you actually need.
- Turn on group gifting for the expensive pieces: it turns a heavy purchase into a gift shared among several people.
To estimate your specific spending and work out where to cut, try our baby budget calculator. And if you want to understand which baby registry platform is really worth it, there's the guide to the best free online baby registry.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to raise a baby in the first year?
According to BabyCenter's Cost of Raising a Baby survey, a US baby's first year cost about $20,400 on average in 2025, and closer to $29,000 once full-time day care is counted. The wide range comes mainly from gear, feeding and where you choose to shop.
What are the biggest expenses for a newborn?
The heaviest one-off items are the gear: crib (around $500), travel system ($400), bassinet ($300), infant car seat ($275). On top of these come recurring costs like nappies and feeding, which add up month after month.
How can you save money on a baby's first year?
Buying online rather than in specialty stores takes a real bite out of the gear bill. A baby registry avoids duplicates and focuses gifts on the useful items, and group gifting lets people cover the most expensive pieces, like the stroller and car seat, together.
Does a baby registry really help you save?
Yes: by avoiding duplicates and pointless gifts, it directs friends' and relatives' spending toward the things you truly need. On expensive products, group gifting turns a purchase that's hard for one person into a shared gift.
How much do nappies cost in the first year?
Nappies are one of the priciest recurring items, because a newborn goes through several a day all year long. The cost varies a lot between disposable and reusable: the type you choose is one of the factors that shifts the overall budget the most.
Sources
- BabyCenter, “Cost of Raising a Baby” (2025 survey of 1,399 US mothers) — consumeraffairs.com (retrieved 26 June 2026).
- LendingTree, “The Cost of Raising a Child” (2026) — lendingtree.com (retrieved 26 June 2026).