How Much Does an Au Pair Cost — and Could One Save You Money? My Advice, As Featured in The Telegraph

By Tuuli Liiskmaa, Director, Smart Au Pairs & Nannies

I was delighted to be asked by The Telegraph to share my expertise for their recent piece, "An au pair could save you money on childcare – what you need to know first". With the summer holidays in full swing and families juggling that familiar patchwork of holiday camps and favours from grandparents, it's a timely question — so I wanted to expand on my advice here.

Au pair, nanny — or junior nanny? Know the difference

An au pair lives as part of your family in a cultural exchange arrangement, helping with childcare and light housework — typically 25 to 30 hours a week — in return for board, lodging and a weekly salary. A nanny, by contrast, is a professional childcarer on a full salary, live-in or live-out.

Because au pairs won't normally hold a formal childcare qualification, they shouldn't have sole responsibility for children under two, and only limited responsibilities with pre-schoolers. But for school-aged children and wrap-around support, an au pair is often the perfect fit.

Something in between? Consider a junior nanny. If an au pair feels too light on experience but a fully qualified nanny is more than you need, a junior nanny could be an excellent option. Junior nannies have solid hands-on childcare experience — often with younger children — and can take on more responsibility & hours than an au pair, while still living in as part of the family at a more affordable rate than a professional nanny. For families with toddlers or pre-schoolers alongside school-aged children, it's often the ideal middle ground.

What does an au pair actually cost?

The days of £90 "pocket money" are long gone — and rightly so. Au pairs must be paid at least the national minimum wage: currently £10.85 an hour for 18 to 20-year-olds, or £12.71 for those 21 and over. Because you're providing bed and board, you can apply the HMRC accommodation offset of £77.20 a week, though not every family does.

In practice, for a typical 25 to 30-hour week, that works out from roughly £240 a week gross for a younger au pair with the offset applied, up to £380-plus for an older au pair without it.

Compare that with the alternatives. The 2026 Coram Family and Childcare holiday survey found families spend an average of £191 a week per child on holiday childcare, and £69.70 a week per child on after-school clubs in term time — before breakfast clubs.

This is where au pairs come into their own. Holiday camps charge per child, per day. An au pair's cost doesn't increase with the number of children, and the help doesn't stop at pick-up time — you also have cover for breakfast, teatime and inset days. For larger families, an au pair is often one of the most affordable and flexible forms of childcare there is.

A real-world example. Take a family with three school-aged children over the six-week summer holidays. Holiday camps at the average £191 per child per week would cost around £573 a week — over £3,400 for the summer, with no help before drop-off or after pick-up. An au pair over the same period costs roughly £240 to £380 a week all-in, covers all three children, and is there for breakfast, teatime and those inset days that always catch parents out. The maths speaks for itself.

It's not an informal arrangement

The idea that an au pair is "just a guest who helps out" and sits outside employment law is simply wrong. Au pairs are entitled to a written agreement, the minimum wage, paid holiday and statutory sick pay — which now applies from day one — just like a nanny. That means 5.6 weeks' paid leave a year and two full days off each week, normally Saturday and Sunday. Depending on their earnings, you may also need to make employer pension contributions, which a specialist nanny payroll company can arrange.

What can you ask an au pair to do?

The balance of the role should always be on childcare, not housework. Light household duties should be no more than about an hour a day, and only tasks connected to the children — their laundry, tidying up after meals. An au pair is not a cleaner: parents' ironing, deep cleaning, gardening and cleaning up after pets are not au pair duties.

Babysitting shouldn't be treated as an unpaid favour just because your au pair lives in your home — agree it in writing, along with hours and pay. In my experience, a clear written agreement, a simple family handbook and regular catch-up chats prevent almost every misunderstanding we see.

Right to work: do your due diligence

Post-Brexit, there is no dedicated au pair visa. Your au pair must have the right to work in the UK — via a student visa that permits work, pre-settled or settled status, or the Youth Mobility Scheme (covering countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa). It is illegal for anyone to work as an au pair on a tourist visa, and families must verify status before the placement starts.

How we can help

Navigating pay, contracts, right-to-work checks and finding the right match is exactly what we do at Smart Au Pairs & Nannies. We vet every candidate, verify their right to work, and support both family and au pair through settling in and beyond — with placements typically running from six months to a year, and often longer.

If you're wondering whether an au pair or junior nanny could work for your family register your interest or call us to discuss your requirements further.