Money · For host families
What hosting an au pair really costs a family
A full monthly budget including pocket money, food, insurance, transport and the language course — plus how it compares to a nursery place or a nanny.
6 min read · Updated January 2026
The monthly lines
A realistic European budget looks roughly like this.
- Pocket money: €280–€400
- Extra food and household costs: €150–€250
- Language course contribution: €50–€100
- Transport pass: €40–€90
- Insurance where required: €30–€60
The one-off costs
Budget for a flight contribution if you agree to one (many families split it or reimburse half at the six-month mark), bedding and a desk for the room, and a spare set of keys.
How it compares
A full-time nursery place for one child in most large European cities costs more than an au pair costs for a whole family. A qualified nanny costs roughly three times as much.
The trade-off is real though: you are gaining flexible, affordable, live-in help, and giving up a degree of household privacy.
Where families underestimate
Food, heating and water genuinely go up with another adult in the house. And if you ask the au pair to join a family holiday, you cover their travel and accommodation — those days are work days, not their holiday.
Ready to put this into practice? Look through real au pair and host family profiles — no account needed.
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