Norway Kindergarten Price Calculator 2026 (Barnehage)

Kindergarten (barnehage) is Norway's day care for children under school age. It is voluntary, and parents pay a fee that the government caps. In 2026 the maximum price is NOK 1,200 a month for a full-time place (about EUR 110 or USD 130), payable for 11 months of the year. This calculator works out what your household pays per month and per year, with the sibling discount, the income-based reduction for low-income households and free core time.

The maximum price depends on where you live

The government sets the maximum price for the whole country, and it applies to municipal and private kindergartens alike. It is lower in the least central parts of the country.

Price with siblings

The second child gets a discount of at least 30% and the third and later children go free. The table assumes the maximum price and a household income high enough that the income rule does not apply.

Full-time place at NOK 1,200 a month, food not included.

Lower price for low-income households

A kindergarten place should never cost more than 6%of the household's combined income for one child in a year, spread over 11 months. For a single child at the maximum price, the rule starts to matter below an income of NOK 220,000.

One child at the maximum price. 6% of income a year, divided by 11 months.

Worked example: two children and NOK 900,000 income

A couple with an income of NOK 900,000 has two children in a full-time place at the maximum price. The first child costs NOK 1,200 a month. The second child gets 30% off and costs NOK 840. Together they pay NOK 2,040 a month, or NOK 22,440 over 11 months. Food is extra.

Free core time

Children aged 2 to 5 have the right to 20 hours of free kindergarten a week if the household income is below NOK 692,465(the limit from 1 August 2026). The income counted is the household's combined taxable personal and capital income. Support that is not taxable, such as childcare support from NAV, is not counted. The calculator flags when you are under the limit, but the municipality works out the actual reduction, so you need to apply.

For families new to Norway

The right to a place depends on where the child lives, and each municipality has its own application process and deadlines. Apply as early as you can, and ask the municipality what documents it needs. If your child does not attend kindergarten full-time, you may be entitled to cash-for-care: see the cash-for-care calculator. Child benefit is paid regardless of kindergarten, and you can work it out with the child benefit calculator. If a parent is planning leave, the parental leave calculator shows what NAV pays.

What the calculator does not cover

It uses the national maximum price and the minimum sibling discount and income rules. Your municipality can charge less, give a larger sibling discount and has its own way of applying the rules, so its price list is what counts. Food, extra hours or days, and after-school care are not included. The maximum price is set each year, so check the current price with your municipality.

Euro and dollar figures are approximate, converted at Norges Bank mid-market rates of 25 September 2026 (EUR 1 = NOK 10.84, USD 1 = NOK 9.51).