au pair

Au Pair Costs: Can I afford an Au Pair?

⏱ Reading time: 3 min.
If you're considering hiring an Au Pair and are wondering: how much does an Au Pair cost? We have the answers for you.
The average cost of Au Pair program for Host Families is as follow:
  • Au Pair cost per week: 80 - 370 USD
  • Au Pair cost per month: 360 - 1650 USD
  • Au Pair cost per year: 4320 - 19800 USD

For more details check up this table
 
Live in Au Pair cost, Au Pair wages and other Au Pair expenses depend on the host country, so remember to check your country’s regulations.
Keep in mind also Au Pair agency fees - either our Premium plans, or a suitable full-service agency fees.
au pair costs
The Au Pair program gives a chance to get closer to another culture by hosting an Au Pair. Though there are certain pros and cons of this experience, it is a very economical childcare solution with an international impact. Nevertheless, there are certain costs you need to consider in advance.
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General Au Pair costs - Costs of hosting an Au Pair

These are mandatory costs that are applicable to all Host Families participating in the Au Pair program. They include:

Accommodation and food

You have to provide a room for the Au Pair in your house. As it should meet certain criteria, you might need to buy some furniture or other required things to make it livable. In addition to accommodation, you need to provide the Au Pair with full board. 

Pocket money

Each country has its own standards for the monthly amount of pocket money that the Host Family pays to the Au Pair. The amount is defined by the official Au Pair program of the country. 

Video: Can I afford an Au Pair?

In the next video Charlotte from AuPair.com talks about the costs incurred by the au pair, but also about the pocket money that the au pair earns with the host family. 


You can find the approximative live in Au Pair cost in the table:
  Cost per month Keep in mind!
Food 110 - 350 USD
Au Pairs don’t receive additional money for food, but should enjoy meals with your family
Accommodation 50 - 500 USD Au Pair’s should live in the same apartment as your family, so the cost of accommodation* probably won’t make you any difference (if you have a spare room)
Au Pair salary - pocket money 200 - 800 USD Amount of pocket money varies from country to country. You can figure out how much you need to pay checking the Au Pair pocket money regulations.
Language course (optional) 50 - 500 USD If your host country regulations don’t say otherwise, you are not in charge of the Au Pair’s language course. Nonetheless, you can consider covering part of those expenses
Insurance (optional) 0 - 50 USD Similarly to the above point - check your country regulations and find out, if you have to insure the Au Pair. If it’s not the case, covering those expenses is upon your decision
Au Pair’s transportation (optional) 50 - 200 USD You need to ensure that the Au Pair will have possibility to take a part in language course. If it takes the car to reach the language school, the Host Family needs to provide one or ensure other transportation mean.
*in some countries money invested in child care is tax-free - also the cost of the Au Pair’s accommodation and food. In such case you need to estimate the amount of money spent on Au Pair’s room and food.
 
If you are looking forward to finding Au Pair and starting the Au Pair program together, you can also think of the following:
  • Gifts for your Au Pair - it’s not mandatory, but it would certainly warm up your first meeting! Depending on your taste, you can spend on the Au Pair presents ca. 10 - 150 USD
  • Au Pair’s visa - your Au Pair may need a visa. The visa fee is paid once, during the application, and according to the program rules the fee should be paid by the Au Pair. Nonetheless, you can think of helping your Au Pair out. Just don’t send money in advance! You can pay the Au Pair in installments after her/his arrival. The cost of the visa may reach up to 200 USD
  • Au Pair’s travel cost - depending on the distance between you and the Au Pair, the travel cost may take up to 2000 USD. In majority of the host countries the family doesn’t need to participate in the Au Pair’s travel cost, but you can help the Au Pair adding some amount to the pocket money after her/his arrival (+ 1/10 every month).

Other Au Pair costs

au pair costs

Agency costs

You need to consider the cost of a full-service agency or an online matching agency. Online platforms like AuPair.com offer you free registration, the possibility to browse through potential/prospective Au Pairs and additional useful features along with a Premium Membership for a certain fee. Using AuPair.com you can find an Au Pair at almost no cost - our Premium Membership options start at 54.90 USD 
 
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AuPair.com - your online matching agency
AuPair.com is the place where Au Pairs and Host Families from all over the world meet. Create an account and find your Au Pair at almost no cost! Read more

Full-service agencies support you during the matching process and Au Pair’s stay abroad, thus the cost will be much higher. Depending on your personal needs, both options offer a great service and help you to find the right Au Pair. If you want to host an Au Pair in the USA, you have to cooperate with local agencies that are recognized by the US government. If you decide to cooperate with a full-service Au Pair agency, you need to keep in mind also the Au Pair agency fees. 

Language course costs

Keep in mind that your future Au Pair will need to attend a language course or some other course in order to fulfill the program requirements. In most of the countries the Au Pair covers the cost of the course. In other countries, Host Families are responsible to cover a part of the language course cost.  

Insurance

In some countries Host Families have to cover a health insurance for their Au Pair. Please check your country's program requirements!

Other

Although we encourage Host Families to support their Au Pairs with travel costs, it is not your obligation.  
Read more information about the Host Family’s responsibilities and requirements and look into our Au Pair WIKI for more information. 
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Who should pay for the travel expenses?
We recommend Host Families to help Au Pairs with travel expenses, though it’s not their obligation to do so. In any case, the Au Pair needs to cover the travel costs initially. If the Host Family would like to support the Au Pair, they can repay the ticket price in monthly installments that will be added to the Au Pair's salary during 10 months. In the case of Au Pair USA and China, the ticket will be covered by the Host Family. We recommend to discuss this topic before the Au Pair’s arrival and note down the conditions in the Au Pair contract. Learn more about other Au Pair costs to participate in the program or Host Family costs for hosting an Au Pair.  
What’s the difference between Premium and Basic accounts?
The Basic Membership is free. It gives you the possibility to browse Au Pair profiles on the website and send standard messages to our members. The Premium Membership offers you the possibility to create free form messages. It’s the quickest way to find an Au Pair, because you can send personalized messages and exchange contact details with all Au Pairs.
How long does it take to find an Au Pair?
It depends on several factors. Make sure your profile is full and interesting for other users. Make sure that you meet the Host Family requirements set by the Au Pair program. Be active and contact about 10-15 Au Pairs per day. If you follow the three tips above you can find a suitable match within one to four weeks. Check out our Host Family guide for more advice and ideas on how to find an Au Pair faster.
What are the requirements to host an Au Pair?
There are three most important requirements: the Au Pair accommodation, full board and monthly/weekly sum of pocket money. We recommend to go through the full list of requirements for Host Families. If you meet them, you can register as a Host Family today and find an Au Pair that matches your criteria.


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