What Does It Cost to Have a Baby in Canada as a Permanent Resident?

As a permanent resident, my hospital care was covered through provincial health insurance. That meant prenatal appointments, delivery, and postpartum medical care did not result in surprise bills. Though, there were some health-related costs like supplements. Outside of healthcare, the costs can add up quickly. 

Here’s an honest breakdown of what we actually spent preparing for our baby’s first few months — and how buying secondhand dramatically reduced those costs. I’m not under any illusions – I’m sure there are more costs coming. But I did want to share my realistic breakdown of what I spent before the baby arrived.  

Because I’m a permanent resident, my prenatal appointments, ultrasounds, bloodwork, and hospital delivery were covered under provincial health insurance. That removed the largest potential expense. 

That said, pregnancy still came with some out-of-pocket costs. 

Prenatal Costs 

I kept things pretty low cost during my pregnancy, but here are the expenses (at least what I can recall!):  

• Maternity Clothing: About $200 total 

I relied mostly on donated items from friends and thrift store finds, with a few targeted purchases from Gap (maternity overalls were easily my best buy), and some nursing bras. 

• Vitamins and Supplements: Around $30 per month 

• Increased Food Costs: About $50 extra per month 

I was significantly hungrier than usual, and we spent more on groceries — particularly protein-rich foods and protein powder. 

• Prenatal massage: Covered by my workplace benefits, but otherwise around $135 per session.  

• Other healthcare costs – there are some out-of-pocket costs we got lucky on. The RSV vaccine costs around $300 where I am located, but that was covered by our drug coverage. Then, there’s genetic screening. Costs vary based on age, but the NIPT costs around $500 too and isn’t usually covered by private insurance. It may be covered if you have a health spending account.  

Overall, pregnancy added roughly $80 per month in recurring costs, plus about $200 in one-time clothing purchases, even with healthcare fully covered. 

How Much Do Baby Clothes Cost for the First Few Months? 

What we spent: $30 

Yes, really. 

We relied heavily on hand-me-downs from friends and family, plus secondhand “batch lots” on Facebook Marketplace. For $30 total, I picked up: 

• Newborn clothes 

• 0–3 month essentials 

• Odds and ends up to 6–12 months 

Babies grow quickly. Many newborn outfits are worn only a handful of times. Buying secondhand clothing felt like the most rational place to save money — especially since fabric items can be washed thoroughly. 

If you’re comfortable with pre-loved clothing, this is one of the easiest areas to cut costs. 

How Much Do Diapers Cost for a Newborn in Canada? 

What we spent upfront: $170 

• Two boxes of newborn and size one diapers were gifted 

• $70 for unused reusable diapers (Marketplace) 

• Two diaper pails from Marketplace: $100 

We’re planning to use reusable diapers as much as possible, though I’m realistic about how that habit may evolve in the newborn phase. Even if we end up using disposables more often than expected, buying the reusable stash secondhand reduced the upfront cost significantly. 

There were added costs here too, disposable baby wipes plus a reusable batch, added around $50. Plus, diaper cream – though that was given to us in a gift basket initially. I’m sure we’ll need to spend more, but we’re not overstocking on items upfront so we don’t end up with too much waste.  

What Baby Bath and Linen Essentials Do You Actually Need? 

Bath essentials: $20
Burp cloths, swaddles, sleep sacks (first year): $100 

Baby shampoo and soaps: Given to us in a baby gift basket 

Most bath items — infant tub, towels — were purchased secondhand for $20. 

For textiles like burp cloths, swaddles, and sleep sacks, we spent around $100 total. That figure includes: 

• Marketplace finds 

• A few Amazon purchases 

• Some gifted items 

These are items babies use daily, so it felt worth having enough to rotate through laundry without stress. 

How Much Does Nursery Furniture Cost in Canada? 

This is where costs can vary dramatically depending on your approach. 

What We Borrowed or Received as Gifts 

• Bedside bassinet — borrowed from a friend (free) 

• Crib and mattress— gift from a parent 

• Thule stroller — gift from a parent 

Borrowing or receiving large-ticket items made an enormous difference. If you have community support, this can make a huge difference in total costs. 

What We Bought Secondhand 

• Marketplace dresser (used as changing table): $35 

• Secondhand changing pad: $20 

• IKEA storage cubes: $50 

• Nursery rug: $200 

The rug was one of our splurges. I wanted something soft, neutral, and easy to clean. We found a beautiful secondhand option on Marketplace for $200 — far below retail — and it transformed the room. 

What We Bought New (or Splurged On) 

• Rocking chair: $299 

• Some crib sheets – $30 

The rocking chair was our other intentional new purchase (though, you can spend a lot more on glider, recliner rocking chairs). I knew I’d spend countless hours feeding and soothing in that chair and after a few months, I couldn’t find anything I liked on marketplace.  

How Much Do Car Seats Cost in Canada — And Should You Buy Them New? 

What we spent: $800 

We purchased: 

• One infant capsule seat 

• One transitional seat designed to last up to eight years 

We bought both new — and deliberately. 

Car seats seem to be one of the few items widely recommended to buy new for safety reasons. With secondhand seats, you cannot verify accident history or proper storage. Even minor collisions can compromise a seat’s structural integrity. 

We could have staggered these purchases and bought only the infant seat initially. However, we found strong Black Friday deals and chose to purchase both at once. 

If there is one category where safety outweighs savings, this was it for us. 

Is It Safe to Buy Baby Items on Facebook Marketplace? 

This was one of my biggest questions. 

The answer is: it depends on the item. 

I Consider Generally Safe to Buy Secondhand 

• Clothing 

• Dressers and storage furniture 

• Rugs 

• Diaper pails 

• Unused cloth diapers 

• Changing pads (if structurally sound and sanitized – in our case, it was unused) 

Wherever possible, I look for items that people haven’t used because they were gifted and didn’t need them. These are usually discounted off retail costs but not bottom dollar items. 

Items I Thought Were Better Bought New 

• Car seats 

• Crib mattresses 

• Breast pumps (unless closed-system and unused) 

• Any recalled or safety-regulated item 

When buying secondhand, I always: 

• Checked for recalls online 

• Asked about age and usage 

• Inspected items carefully 

• Sanitized thoroughly 

Other Considerations When Buying Secondhand 

You do trade time for savings. 

There’s definitely a balance between time spent scrolling Marketplace and the money saved. If I’m driving 40 minutes to save $10, it’s not worth it. But if I can save, say, $50 on something we’ll use daily, I’ll make the trip if it’s nearby. I’d also always try to batch pickups within one area so I could grab multiple items in one outing. This was a huge time (and sanity) saver.  

That mental math became part of the budgeting process. 

What Is the Total Cost of Preparing for a Baby? 

Here’s a rough summary of our out-of-pocket spending: 

• Baby clothes: $30 

• Diapers + pails + hygiene: $220 

• Bath essentials: $20 

• Linens and sleep items: $100 

• Dresser + changing setup: $55 

• Storage cubes: $50 

• Nursery rug: $200 

• Rocking chair: $299 

• Car seats: $800 

Total spent directly by us: approximately $1,724. I’ll round it up to $2,000 since I’m sure there are things I’ve forgotten!  

That number excludes gifted items (crib, bassinet, stroller) and ongoing diaper purchases. Buying those items new, I’d estimate you’d need to add a further $1,500 minimum to the budget. 

For comparison, many retail-only nursery setups easily exceed $5,000–$10,000. 

Is It Expensive to Have a Baby in Canada as a Permanent Resident? 

From a healthcare perspective, permanent residence made a significant difference. Hospital and physician costs were covered under provincial insurance, which removes one of the largest financial anxieties many families face elsewhere. 

The main expenses were practical, not medical: gear, furniture, and consumables. 

The biggest lesson? Babies do not need everything marketed to you. Community, secondhand networks, and thoughtful splurges where comfort or safety truly matter can dramatically reduce costs. 

We’re taking an approach of waiting until we need something to buy it (outside of essentials) instead of pre-emptively buying what’s marketed to us.  

If I had to summarize the experience, it’s this: you can prepare well without overspending — but you have to be intentional. And occasionally, you have to close Marketplace and just click “buy now.”