How much does childcare cost in Merton?
Current nanny, babysitter, childminder and after-school rates for Merton (CR4), compared with the London and UK averages.
Rates last refreshed 10 August 2026
Cost of care in Merton
School pickups
£10 to £15/hr
London avg
London avg £10 to £15/hr
UK avg £8 to £12/hr
More childcare options in Merton
Childminder
£8.35/hr
Merton
Nursery (day rate)
£100.90/day
Merton
Live-in nanny
£500 to £900/wk
London avg
Overnight nanny
£190 to £250/night
Zone avg
Maternity nurse
£300 to £350/24hrs
Zone avg
Au pair
£90 to £180/wk
London avg
Mother's helper
£7 to £11/hr
London avg
What that looks like
Babysitters in Merton
Babysitters in Merton typically charge around £14.61/hr, compared with the London average of £14.49/hr and the UK average of £12.85/hr. Evenings, weekends and last-minute bookings usually sit at the upper end of that range. Browse babysitters near CR4 →
Nannies in Merton
A live-out nanny in Merton costs around £16.93/hr, compared with the London average of £16.33/hr and the UK average of £15.21/hr. Rates move with experience, the number of children and whether the role includes cooking, driving or nursery duties. Browse nannies near CR4 →
School pickups in Merton
An after-school nanny for the school run in Merton typically costs £10 to £15/hr across London, against £8 to £12/hr nationally, usually booked as a fixed slot a few days a week during term time. Browse sitters near CR4 →
After-school care in Merton
Regular childminder pickup and after-school care runs about £127/wk in London, well above the £81/wk England average. Inner London areas such as Merton sit towards the top of that range. Browse sitters near CR4 →
Why rates vary here
Merton is in South West London, a consistently strong area for regular, term-time childcare. Rates sit at or slightly above the London average, with school-run and after-school work in particular booked well ahead because the same slots are in demand across a whole neighbourhood.
Common questions
What's the average nanny hourly rate in Merton?
£16.93/hr for live-out care, based on current advertised rates across SW19, SW20, CR4, SM4.
Is childcare more expensive in Merton than the rest of London?
Slightly, yes. A live-out nanny in Merton averages £16.93/hr against £16.33/hr across London as a whole.
How much should I budget for a babysitter in Merton?
Around £14.61/hr, so a typical four-hour evening comes to roughly £58. There's no booking fee on KidSitter, sitters keep 100% of what you pay them.
How much does an after-school nanny or pickup cost in Merton?
£10 to £15/hr an hour across London for a term-time school run, usually booked as a fixed slot two to five days a week. Regular childminder after-school care is charged weekly instead.
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Compare by type of childcare
Postcodes in Merton
Sources & methodology
Figures are midpoints of current advertised rates for each type of childcare, compiled from published UK childcare rate surveys and advertised London rates, then grouped by borough, zone or London-wide depending on how granular the underlying data is. Each figure is labelled with the level it comes from, so nothing here implies more precision than the data supports. Rates exclude any agency fees, KidSitter charges no booking fee or commission. Last refreshed 10 August 2026.