Milton Keynes ranks as one of the least affordable places in the UK for childcare

New research has ranked Milton Keynes the 9th least affordable for childcare in the UK.

Data collected by Play Like Mum shows parents in the city need to work 80 hours just to pay for monthly childcare.

The company, which sells dolls prams, looked at the average monthly salary in the UK’s most populated towns and cities and compared it to the average cost of full-time childcare.

Nearby Luton worked out the least affordable. There, the average monthly cost of childcare is £1,494.44 and the average monthly salary is £2,100. This means parents have to work 116 hours before the cost is covered – and it takes 71.16% of their wages.

In Milton Keynes the average monthly cost of childcare £1,089.55. Here, the average monthly salary £2,208, while the average hourly wage is £13.59.

The percentage of wages spent on childcare is 49.35%, which equates to 80 hours of work.

A spokesman for Play Like Mum said: “Childcare is a necessity for most parents, but with the rise in living costs, it is becoming necessary for more than just a small fortune for your child to be cared for while you’re at work.

“Childcare is a necessity for most parents, but with the rise in living costs, it is becoming necessary for more than just a small fortune for your child to be cared for while you’re at work.

“With that in mind, you may wonder how much the cost of sending your child to nursery compares to your earnings. While we may be experts in dolls prams, we wanted to find out more about the cost of childcare. We dived into this and have compared the average monthly salary in the UK’s most populated towns and cities, to the average cost of full-time childcare.

“Based on these figures, we’ve worked out how many hours you would typically need to work to cover the cost of childcare.

"Milton Keynes is ranked the 9th most expensive area for childcare costs.”

The study showed childcare is much more affordable in the north of the UK, where parents spend around 17% of their wages on childcare, compared to the south, where parents spend over 70%.