Every new parent budgets for diapers. Most expect to spend on clothes and toys. What almost nobody budgets for correctly is everything else — the recurring, easy-to-underestimate costs that quietly reshape a family’s monthly spend.
We asked 150+ Indian parents what actually surprised them about the cost of raising a child. Their answers weren’t about one big purchase. They were almost all about the same seven categories, showing up again and again in different words. Here’s what they wish they’d known earlier — with the real numbers behind each one.
Quick answer: what’s the most underestimated baby cost in India?
Diapers and hygiene products topped the list, named as a top-three monthly expense by 76% of parents surveyed — more than any other category. Healthcare and vaccinations (52%) and food or formula (47%) followed close behind. But the cost parents most often called “surprising” wasn’t any single category — it was how many small, recurring purchases stack up every month without ever feeling like one big expense.
1. Diapers: the expense that never lets up
Diapers were the single most-cited expense in our survey — a top-three cost for 76% of parents, ahead of every other category. It’s easy to see why: whether a family uses disposable diapers full-time or only for nights and outings, the cost repeats for two to three years or longer.
Several parents summed it up in exactly two words: “diapers!” and “diaper cost.” Others pointed out the math directly — with a newborn going through 5–6 diapers a day, the per-unit price barely matters; it’s the daily multiplication that does the damage.
Money-saving tip: Buying in bulk during sales, or switching to cloth diapers for daytime use once your baby is a little older, is the change parents mentioned most often for cutting this cost.
2. Healthcare and vaccinations: the least predictable line item
Healthcare and vaccinations were a top-three expense for 52% of parents — and the most frequently named “surprise” of the entire survey. Private-hospital vaccinations, and specifically “painless” vaccine options, came up repeatedly as costs no one had priced in beforehand.
Parents also flagged unplanned hospital visits and, in at least one case, an extended NICU stay, as costs that no baby registry or checklist prepares you for.
Takeaway: A healthcare-specific buffer in your monthly budget matters as much as your baby shopping list — vaccinations alone can run into thousands per visit at private clinics.
3. Formula and nutrition: a cost that scales with your choices
Food and formula was a top-three expense for 47% of parents, and it’s one of the categories most directly shaped by circumstance rather than choice. One parent estimated that formula alone can run close to ₹10,000 a month when breastfeeding isn’t an option.
As babies move to solids, the grocery bill climbs too — fruit, berries, dairy, and “healthy” snack purchases were mentioned repeatedly as costs that crept up faster than expected.
4. Childcare: where the real budget gap opens up
Daycare or preschool was a top-three cost for 34% of parents, and nannies or household help for another 24% — and this is where city matters most. Parents in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and the NCR specifically said childcare rivalled their rent or mortgage. One Noida-based parent noted school fees now run above ₹50,000.
Reliable help is also harder to find than to budget for. One parent’s take on hiring a good nanny: harder to find than “a good husband.”
Takeaway: If you’re planning a return to work, price out daycare or nanny costs in your specific city before the baby arrives — this is the category most likely to blow past a generic budget.
5. Tiny clothes, real bills
Clothing was a top-three expense for 35% of parents — not because any single outfit is expensive, but because a newborn outfit might fit for a matter of weeks. Parents repeatedly mentioned replacing clothes, shoes, and seasonal wear faster than they could justify the spend.
Money-saving tip: Since most baby clothes are worn only a handful of times before being outgrown, buying good-quality pre-loved clothing — or passing clothes between families — was the single most-mentioned fix in the survey.
6. The small stuff that adds up faster than you’d think
This was the most common “surprise” theme in the entire survey, and it wasn’t tied to one category. Parents described it as:
“Everything keeps adding up.” “The costs are never ending.” “It’s all the small, everyday expenses.”
Wipes, snacks, toiletries, books, birthday gifts, and travel costs don’t individually look like much. But together, they’re the reason a “diapers and formula” budget rarely matches the real monthly total.
7. Baby gear that barely gets used
This is the regret parents brought up unprompted, more than any other. When we asked how much they estimate they’ve spent on items their baby barely used, the answers were striking:
| Amount spent on barely-used items | % of parents |
|---|---|
| Under ₹5,000 | 44% |
| ₹5,000–₹15,000 | 33% |
| ₹15,000–₹30,000 | 6% |
| Over ₹30,000 | 8% |
| Never thought about it | 9% |
That’s roughly 1 in 7 parents who’ve spent over ₹15,000 on items their child barely touched — most often cribs, playpens, walkers, swings, and toys. As one parent put it, “we buy playpens and cribs, but babies just want to be around us.” Another: “kids don’t even play with the toys.”
The upside: these are exactly the items with the most resale value left in them. 65% of parents surveyed have already bought or sold pre-loved baby items, and another 25% are open to it — the hesitation isn’t about the idea, it’s about trust in the seller and item condition, which is what a verified marketplace with quality checks is built to solve.
Budgeting for the unexpected
The biggest lesson from 157 parents wasn’t about any one purchase — it’s that the categories that catch families off guard are almost always recurring, not one-time. Diapers, healthcare, food, and childcare show up every month whether you planned for them or not.
Where you can claw back real money is in the one-off gear that gets bought once and barely used — cribs, playpens, walkers, swings, and outgrown clothing. Buying those pre-loved, or reselling your own once your child outgrows them, is the practical lever most parents in our survey said they wished they’d used sooner.
If you’re weighing whether to buy new or pre-loved for your next big-ticket item, it’s worth checking IPF’s pre-loved marketplace first — listing is free for sellers, buyers pay a small commission instead of full retail price, and every transaction is protected by in-app escrow with doorstep pickup and drop.
FAQs
What are the biggest hidden monthly costs of raising a baby in India? Based on a survey of 157 Indian parents, diapers and hygiene (76%), healthcare and vaccinations (52%), and food or formula (47%) were the most commonly cited top-three monthly expenses — ahead of clothing, daycare, and toys.
Why do baby expenses feel higher than parents expect? Most baby costs are recurring rather than one-time. Individual purchases like wipes, snacks, or diapers feel small, but parents in our survey consistently said it was the accumulation of these small, repeated costs — not one big bill — that surprised them most.
How can parents reduce baby expenses? The most common strategies parents mentioned were buying pre-loved gear and clothing, shopping sales for diapers in bulk, borrowing short-term items from family, and reselling gear once their child outgrows it.
Which baby products are most often barely used? Cribs, playpens, swings, walkers, baby carriers, high chairs, and toys were the items parents most often said their child used briefly or not at all — with 1 in 7 surveyed parents estimating they spent over ₹15,000 on underused items.
Is buying pre-loved baby gear common in India? Yes. 65% of parents surveyed have already bought or sold pre-loved baby products, and a further 25% are open to it. Trust in the seller and item condition — not price — were the top factors parents said mattered most.