Nappy Cost Calculator NZ

This calculator works out how much nappies cost over the years your child is in them, and compares disposable nappies against cloth so you can see which works out cheaper for your family. You enter the number of nappy changes a day, the price of a disposable nappy, the one-off cost of a cloth nappy set, the weekly cost of washing cloth nappies (power, water and detergent), and the number of years your child is likely to be in nappies. The calculator then shows the disposable cost per year, the total disposable cost over the full period, the total cloth cost including the set and washing, and the likely saving from choosing cloth over disposables. Disposables are cheap individually but the daily changes add up fast over two or three years, while cloth carries a bigger upfront cost that is spread out through reuse, and the saving grows further if you reuse the same set for a second child. Use the tool to test your own change frequency and prices, since both vary a lot between newborns and older babies, and between nappy brands. Keep in mind that convenience, time spent washing and personal preference also matter and are not captured in the dollar figures, so treat the result as a useful budgeting estimate rather than the only factor in your decision.

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$815
likely saving from cloth over the nappy years
Disposable, per year$1,022
Disposable total$2,555
Cloth total$1,740

Cloth total includes the one-off set plus washing across the years; reusing the set for a second child increases the saving. Disposables are convenient, which has its own value. Estimate only.

How it works

The calculator costs disposables as changes a day times the price, per week and per year, and across the nappy years. For cloth it adds the one-off set to the washing cost across the years. The difference is the likely saving from choosing cloth. Reusing a cloth set for a second child roughly doubles the saving, since the big upfront cost is already paid.

Worked example

At 7 changes a day and 40 cents each, disposables cost about $1,022 a year, or roughly $2,550 over 2.5 years. A $700 cloth set plus $8 a week washing is about $1,740 over the same period, saving around $810, more if reused for another baby.

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Frequently asked questions

How much do nappies cost a year?

A newborn might use 8 to 10 nappies a day, dropping as they grow. At a few dozen cents each, disposables often cost $800 to $1,500 a year. Over the years until toilet training, that adds up to a significant sum.

Are cloth nappies cheaper?

Cloth nappies have a higher upfront cost for the set, plus washing costs, but are reused for years and across siblings, so they usually work out cheaper overall than disposables. This calculator compares the two.

What about washing costs for cloth?

Cloth nappies add power, water and detergent for washing, which this calculator includes as a weekly cost. Even with washing, cloth is typically cheaper than disposables over the full nappy years.