What does an au pair really cost? An honest overview for families

Hardly any question is asked of us as often by families thinking about an au pair for the first time:

What will this actually cost us financially once an au pair moves in with us?

The answer is not just the monthly pocket money. Alongside a few fixed costs, there is accommodation and meals, as well as smaller expenses that come up in everyday family life together.

We give you an honest overview.

280 € pocket money per month

An au pair in Germany receives 280 € pocket money per month.

This is not a classic wage within a socially insured employment relationship (a job with statutory social insurance contributions), but the pocket money envisaged for the au pair arrangement.

We recommend transferring this monthly to the au pair's own bank account. That way, the payments are traceably documented for both sides.

Insurance for the au pair

The host family is required to arrange adequate insurance cover for the au pair and to cover the costs of this.

This includes, in particular, health, accident and liability insurance.

Costs vary depending on the provider and tariff. A dedicated au pair insurance is available, for example, from around 44 € a month.

70 € contribution towards the language course

Learning German is a fundamental part of the au pair stay.

The host family therefore contributes 70 € a month towards the cost of the language course.

If the au pair attends a language course locally, the host family must also cover the necessary travel costs to the course.

How much these actually amount to depends heavily on where you live.

Perhaps the language school is close enough that the au pair can walk or cycle. In other cases, a Deutschlandticket (a nationwide German public transport pass), for example, may make sense.

Accommodation and meals

During their stay, the au pair lives with their host family and receives accommodation and meals free of charge.

They get their own room and, in principle, take part in everyday family life and shared meals.

Personal expenses, however, do not have to be covered by the host family.

If the au pair wants to buy new clothes, needs personal toiletries, or wants to go to the cinema on their day off, they pay for these things from their own pocket money.

Shared family activity, or leisure time?

A simple rule of thumb is:

If an activity is part of shared family life and the au pair is meant to join in, the host family covers the corresponding costs.

If the family goes to the zoo together, for example, and the au pair is meant to come along, the family covers the entrance fee.

If, on the other hand, the au pair wants to go to the cinema, eat out, or go on a trip independently with friends on their day off, these are the au pair's own personal leisure expenses.

Who pays for the outward and return journey?

The costs of travelling to Germany, and later the return journey, are in principle borne by the au pair themselves.

These costs therefore do not need to be additionally factored into the host family's monthly budget.

One-off placement fee

With a placement through Besondere Sterne, a one-off placement fee of 1.178 € applies.

This covers more than just the actual placement of a suitable au pair.

Our au pairs are prepared before they even enter the country, and we support both host family and au pair after the matching too, throughout the important early period together.

What should you budget for each month?

The fixed monthly payments therefore start at roughly:

• 280 € pocket money
• + from around 44 € insurance
• + 70 € language course contribution

This puts the fixed direct costs at from around 394 € per month.

On top of that come, where applicable, travel costs to the language course, as well as the additional costs of accommodation and meals in your own household.

With a placement through Besondere Sterne, the one-off placement fee of 1.178 € is added.

So what does an au pair really cost?

An au pair is not free.

But for these costs, an additional person lives with your family and can support you, within the framework of the au pair programme, for up to 30 hours a week with childcare and light household tasks.

Especially for families with a child with a disability, this support can make a difference at many points in everyday life: in the mornings, after school, with siblings, during appointments, or simply whenever an extra pair of hands is needed.

That is why it is worth asking not only “What does an au pair cost?”, but also a second question:

“What would change for our family if, every day, there were someone else there to lend a hand?” (Translated)