Daycare for Under-3s in Shanghai and What It Costs (2026)

Childcare for children under three in Shanghai runs on a separate track from kindergarten, which starts at age three. Your options are a public inclusive nursery (普惠托育) at about ¥2,000 to 3,500 a month (roughly $299 to 522), a private nursery at ¥5,000 to 9,000, an international daycare from ¥15,000 and up, or a home ayi. Public spots are cheap and scarce; private and international places are easier to book and cost more. Here is how each works and what it really costs.

If you had a baby here, or arrived with a toddler, you hit this wall fast: kindergarten does not take under-threes, and two working parents cannot cover the day alone. Shanghai has quietly built out a nursery system for exactly this age, alongside a growing private market. The tricky part is knowing which door to knock on, so here is the honest map.

What is the difference between a nursery and a kindergarten in Shanghai?

A nursery (托育) in Shanghai takes children roughly from 6 months to 3 years, while a kindergarten (幼儿园) starts at age three and runs to six. That gap is the whole reason this guide exists: our kindergarten guide covers the April enrolment window for three-year-olds, but it does nothing for a one-year-old. Nurseries fill the under-three years with care, meals, naps and early play, and they come in three flavours: public inclusive, private, and international.

What childcare options do expat families actually have?

Expat families in Shanghai choose between four routes, and the right one depends on your budget, your language needs and how much flexibility your week demands. Public inclusive nurseries (普惠托育) are heavily subsidised and the cheapest by far, but places are limited and allocated by local authorities. Private domestic nurseries are widespread and flexible. International daycares teach in English or bilingually and take babies as young as six months. And a home ayi, covered in our ayi hiring guide, remains the one-on-one option many families use for the very early months.

What does under-3 childcare cost in Shanghai?

Cost is where the four routes split hardest, from a couple of thousand yuan a month to the price of a small apartment's rent.

The jump from a private nursery to an international one is mostly language and curriculum, not hours of care. If English immersion is not a priority for a one-year-old, a good private nursery does the same job for a third of the price.

How do you find and register at a nursery?

Start with the district, not the internet. Shanghai's Health Commission (卫健委) oversees registered nurseries and publishes inclusive (普惠) options by district, so your neighbourhood 街道 or district education and health offices are the first stop for a public spot. For private and international daycares, contact centres directly and book a visit, because availability turns over term by term. Ask for the operating licence and the 卫健委 registration on the visit; a registered nursery has cleared health, staffing and safety checks that an unlicensed room has not.

Are there subsidies for childcare in Shanghai?

Yes, and the support is growing. China began rolling out national childcare subsidies for children under three in 2025, and Shanghai has expanded inclusive (普惠) nursery places that are subsidised at the source, which is why a public spot costs so much less than a private one. Eligibility rules for subsidies can depend on household registration and residency status, so confirm your own family's eligibility with your district office rather than assuming a headline figure applies to you. As of September 2026, the safest read is that the public inclusive nursery itself is the biggest saving most expat families can actually access.

Which one is for you

If budget leads and you can secure a place, aim for a public inclusive nursery. If you want reliable weekday care with more flexibility, a private domestic nursery is the workhorse choice. If English or bilingual immersion matters from the start, an international daycare earns its higher fee. And if your child is very young or your hours are unpredictable, a home ayi is often the calmest first step before a nursery.

As the Book of Changes puts it, 穷则变，变则通, when a path runs out, change it, and the way opens. A city that would not take your under-three into kindergarten built a nursery system instead; the answer is there once you know which office to ask.

Sources · 资料来源

• Shanghai Municipal Health Commission (上海市卫生健康委员会), which registers and oversees nurseries (托育机构) and publishes inclusive (普惠托育) options by district. wsjkw.sh.gov.cn
• The State Council of China (中华人民共和国国务院), on the national childcare subsidy for children under three, introduced in 2025. english.www.gov.cn

Words, maps and research by the Choice Shanghai team. Please credit us and tag our 公众号 if you share.