Cost of raising a baby in Europe: Latvia among cheapest, but formula takes biggest share
A new study shows first-year baby essential costs across Europe range from €2,813 in the UK to €6,294 in Spain, with Latvia among the cheapest at €3,392 — though baby formula there accounts for an unusually large share of spending.
Money transfer company Remitly has calculated how much parents across 38 European countries spend on essential baby items during a child's first year of life, based on prices as of July 2026. The calculation covers 14 staple items across six categories: nappy changes, bottles, baby formula, sleep essentials (crib, mattress, sheets), transport (car seat, stroller) and clothing.
Across Europe, costs range from €2,813 in the UK to €6,294 in Spain, with a European average of €4,727. Besides Spain, first-year costs exceed €6,000 in the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland.
Latvia's position
At €3,392, Latvia ranks among the countries with the lowest nominal costs, alongside Czechia, Romania, Croatia, Bulgaria and Bosnia and Herzegovina — the only six countries below €4,000. However, the breakdown of spending in Latvia differs sharply from the European pattern: baby formula accounts for 41.3% of total costs there, the highest share recorded among all countries studied. By comparison, formula makes up just 10.8% of costs in Sweden.
On average across Europe, clothing, baby formula and nappies together account for 81% of first-year costs, with average spending of €1,465, €1,187 and €1,152 respectively.
Costs relative to wages
The study also compared costs to average wages in 36 countries, using International Labour Organization data. On average, baby essentials consume 20.9% of an annual wage, but the range is wide — from 5.4% in Belgium to 88.8% in Moldova. Several Balkan countries, including Albania and Turkey, spend at least a third of the average annual wage, while Luxembourg, Denmark and the UK spend less than 10%.
The research does not include nursery or childcare costs, which can add a significant additional burden for families in countries such as Switzerland and the Netherlands.
