In this in-depth guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about babysitting costs in Colombia. We’ll break down the average hourly rates, how much to pay based on age, experience, and location, and how extra tasks can impact the rate.
Wondering how much a babysitter costs in Colombia in 2026? Whether you’re hiring a teenager for occasional evening care or a professional nanny, babysitting rates vary based on age, experience, and responsibilities. In this guide, you’ll find average hourly rates, real-life examples, and tips to help you set a fair and responsible babysitter salary.
According to recent data from Sitly the average hourly rate for babysitters in Colombia in 2026 is around $12.000 COP. This typically reflects informal childcare provided by teenagers or university students, especially during evenings and weekends.
However, babysitting rates in Colombia vary significantly — ranging from under $8.000 COP to over $20.000 COP per hour — depending on several key factors like the babysitter’s age, their childcare experience, whether they have first aid certifications, the number and age of children, your location.This figures are based on Sitly’s internal research.
What determines the cost of a nanny?
Ultimately, there’s no fixed universal price for a nanny. The “right” cost will depend on who you choose and the type of service you need.
Depending on the type of nanny you turn to, the hourly rate can vary quite a bit.
- A caregiver with experience and specific training will ask for higher pay.
- On the other hand, an 18-year-old who works as a nanny only occasionally may charge much less.
To decide what fair pay for your nanny looks like, you need to take into account the minimums established by law.
Nanny rate and minimum wage
In Colombia, a nanny hired formally — that is, with an employment contract — is entitled to receive, at minimum, the current legal minimum wage established for domestic work. This rule applies to nannies as well as caregivers, domestic workers, and anyone who performs care duties within a home.
As of February 2026, the monthly minimum wage in Colombia is $1,750,950 COP, plus a transportation allowance of $249,095 COP, if applicable.
When the nanny works by the hour, this amount can be used as a reference: dividing it by around 240 hours per month gives a result of approximately $7,295 COP per hour. This amount represents the legal minimum, below which payment cannot be made under any circumstances.
The monthly minimum wage corresponds only to the base amount. On top of that amount, the employer must add legal contributions and benefits, which together represent approximately an additional 35% to 40%. In practice, this means the total cost for the employer runs around $1,900,000 to $2,000,000 COP per month, depending on the type of contract and specific conditions.
However, as we’ve seen, actual hourly rates tend to be considerably higher. In practice, this is due to many factors: the nanny’s experience, the number of children she cares for, the additional tasks she performs, the schedule — for example, nights or weekends — and also the city where she works. In major capitals across the country, families tend to offer more competitive rates to attract and retain trustworthy staff.
Hourly vs. Fixed Babysitting Rate: What’s Common?
Most babysitters in Colombia are paid by the hour, especially when the care is occasional, flexible, or last-minute. It’s the fairest way to match compensation to time and effort. However, in some situations — like a regular weekly shift or a quiet evening when the kids are already asleep — families and babysitters may agree on a fixed or flat rate instead.
What to Keep in Mind When You Decide on an Hourly or Fixed Babysitting Rate
- Hourly payments are best when schedules vary, duties may change, or you sometimes need help on short notice. You pay for every hour (or partial hour), ensuring your babysitter is fairly compensated — even when plans shift or extra tasks arise.
- Fixed or flat rates work well when the arrangement is predictable: for example, every Saturday night from 6 to 11 p.m., with no extra chores involved. It’s easier to budget and keeps things simple for both parties.
What to Keep in Mind if You Use a Fixed Babysitting Rate
- Always clarify what the fixed rate includes: number of children, whether light housework is expected, if travel or late-night hours are involved, etc.
- Make sure your flat rate doesn’t underpay the babysitter if the workload unexpectedly increases.
- Even with flat rates, many parents choose to add a bonus for extra duties — like staying later, helping with dinner, or managing a more demanding evening than usual.
Nanny rate: practical example: You can agree on a fixed rate of $160,000 for a 5-hour evening, in which the children go to bed early and the nanny doesn’t have much to do while they sleep. But if you ask her to arrive earlier, prepare dinner, or stay later, it’s fair to add a supplement calculated by the hour.
How Experience and Qualifications Affect Babysitter Rates
A nanny’s skills and experience have a big influence on what she charges and what she expects to receive. It’s not just about age:
- A 24-year-old with a degree in early childhood education or a pediatric first aid certificate will naturally ask for a higher rate.
- A 19-year-old, if she already has quite a bit of experience caring for children of different ages, can also ask for somewhat more than the minimum pay agreed in her area.
In general, the more skilled or qualified the nanny, the more logical it is for her hourly rate to be above average. Many nowadays have additional training: pediatric first aid, the Montessori method, or studies in psychology and education. All of this justifies a higher salary.
This applies whether it’s a live-in nanny, who lives with the family and works extended hours, or a live-out nanny, who only works during the day or by the hour.
As a parent, the decision is a personal one: Would you rather hire someone with less experience who charges a lower rate? Or are you willing to pay more for a prepared nanny with credentials that give you greater peace of mind?
There’s no right or wrong answer: what matters is that the arrangement is fair for both parties and that you feel confident the nanny can look after your children well and ensure their wellbeing.
What Tasks Does Your Babysitter Handle?
The hourly rate for a babysitter in Colombia doesn’t just depend on their age or experience — it also depends on what you ask them to do during the job. If your babysitter is taking on extra responsibilities, it’s fair to reflect that in their pay.
Examples of tasks that may justify a higher rate:
- Caring for multiple children: Managing two or three kids at once is a lot more demanding than watching one child. Expect to pay more for this.
- Special care needs: If your child has medical conditions, behavioural challenges, or simply requires constant attention, a higher hourly rate is entirely appropriate.
Try Sitly’s nanny rate calculator to instantly see nanny rates in your area. Enter your city, the nanny’s tasks, and the number of children, and get the average rate immediately.
Practical example: cost of a nanny in Bogotá
Lucía is 19 years old, has quite a bit of previous experience, and has just started a degree in Early Childhood Education. She also holds a pediatric first aid certificate.
Once a week she works for a family with three children aged 8, 5, and 3. She arrives at 4:00 p.m., picks up the youngest from preschool and then the two older children from school. At home, they have a snack and play; if the weather is good, they go out to the park. Afterward she prepares dinner and makes sure the children eat before the parents arrive at around 7:30 p.m.
What’s a fair rate for Lucía?
We can calculate a fair rate as follows (estimated values for Bogotá in 2025):
- $10,000/hour = base guideline pay according to the current legal minimum wage and prorated benefits.
- +$3,000/hour = supplement for caring for three children instead of one.
- +$2,000/hour = recognition for experience and pediatric first aid certification.
Total: $15,000/hour
Babysitting Babies vs. Older Kids
The age of your children plays an important role when deciding on a fair babysitting rate. Caring for a baby or toddler is hands-on, non-stop work. The sitter needs to be constantly attentive — feeding, changing, comforting, and engaging with the child. This level of care justifies a higher hourly rate.
With children aged six and up, things are usually simpler. They can eat on their own, use the bathroom independently, and often entertain themselves. This reduces the sitter’s workload, and the rate may reflect that.
In general: the younger and more dependent the child, the higher the level of responsibility — and the pay — should be.
Household Tasks and Light Cleaning
If you ask your babysitter to take on household chores in addition to caring for your children, it’s reasonable to increase the rate.
Tasks that may justify a higher babysitting rate include:
- Vacuuming common areas
- Loading or unloading the dishwasher
- Folding laundry
- Washing dishes
- Preparing dinner
Keep in mind that, in this case, you’re asking her to do more than just look after the children. As a reference, a domestic worker in Colombia charges around $12,000 per hour (2026 average wage), although in many cities the actual price is closer to $13,000–$15,000 per hour. If your nanny also helps out with household chores, it’s fair to add a supplement on top of the base childcare rate.
Example: Mariana, occasional nighttime nanny
Mariana is 19 years old and a university student. She has been working as a nanny for two years now, first with relatives and later with other families in the neighbourhood.
On weekends, she works occasionally in the evenings. When she arrives at 7:30 p.m., the children have already had dinner. She only has to put them to bed around 8:30 p.m. She stays until 11:30 p.m. and, at the end, the parents accompany her home. During the evening, the only additional task she’s asked to do is empty the dishwasher; the rest of the time she can relax while the children sleep.
How much does Mariana charge?
They agreed on a payment of $15,000 per hour, a figure that reflects the low level of effort required that night.
Total for the night
$15,000 × 4 hours = $60,000
Mariana is happy with the arrangement: the hours pass peacefully and the pay seems fair to her. The parents are happy too, because they know they’ve set a clear rate suited to the situation.
Last-Minute or On-Call Babysitters
Need a babysitter on short notice? That kind of flexibility often comes with a higher price. Spontaneous bookings — especially for morning care or during unexpected situations — may require the babysitter to cancel personal plans or rearrange their day. When this happens, it’s respectful to offer a slightly higher hourly rate. Last-minute availability is convenient for you, but it should be rewarded fairly.
Example: Marta, emergency backup nanny
Marta has an arrangement with a family to act as a backup nanny in urgent situations. One morning, Sergio’s mother calls her at 7:00 a.m. because the boy has a fever and can’t go to preschool, but she has to attend an important meeting. Marta arrives at 8:00 a.m. and stays until 1:00 p.m., when the grandmother arrives.
How much does Marta charge?
$12,000/hour = reference for the 2025 hourly minimum wage (domestic workers).
+20% urgency supplement ≈ +$2,400/hour.
Total: $14,400/hour
For a 5-hour shift:
$14,400 × 5 = $72,000
Hourly Babysitting Rates by City in Colombia
To help you understand what a fair rate might be for your babysitter, here are the average hourly rates reported by Sitly babysitters aged 16 to 21, based on their public profiles on the platform. These figures reflect the average rates that babysitters themselves request — not what families necessarily pay — and are a useful reference for setting expectations in your area.
Data based on the hourly rates set by over 96.000 babysitters registered on Sitly in Colombia.
According to Sitly data, in 2026 the national average nanny rate is around $25,000 to $26,000 per hour. However, the price varies considerably depending on the city, the caregiver’s experience, and the tasks included.
- In Cartagena, Barranquilla, and Santa Marta, rates tend to be higher. Especially in Santa Marta, where the average can exceed $35,000/hour, influenced by high tourist demand and the cost of living in coastal areas.
- In Bogotá, Cali, and Pereira, the usual range sits between $25,000 and $26,000/hour. These are cities with high demand for childcare services, especially in residential neighbourhoods where long working hours make occasional or steady nanny support necessary.
- In Medellín, Bucaramanga, and Cúcuta, rates are slightly lower, around $24,000–$25,000/hour, although they can rise if the nanny has training in pedagogy or pediatric first aid.
This doesn’t mean, however, that hiring a qualified nanny in Medellín or Manizales always costs less than in Bogotá: a professional with experience in infant care, training in early childhood education, or certifications in pediatric first aid can charge a rate above the average even in smaller cities.
In short, the averages help give you a general idea, but the actual cost of a nanny in Colombia always depends on the combination of factors that matter most: experience, availability, number of children, and additional tasks, in addition to the city you live in.
Average hourly rate for nannies in Colombia
| City | Hourly rate |
|---|---|
| Santa Marta | $35,000 |
| Barranquilla | $26,000 |
| Cartagena | $27,000 |
| Medellín | $24,000 |
| Manizales | $23,000 |
| Pereira | $26,000 |
| Cali | $25,000 |
| Bogotá | $25,000 |
| Bucaramanga | $25,000 |
| Cúcuta | $25,000 |
So, how much should you pay your nanny?
There’s no single answer to how much a nanny charges. It depends on age, experience, the number of children, the tasks included, and the type of service: live-in nanny or live-out nanny, as well as whether she works by the day or by the hour. And other factors, such as:
- the nanny’s age, experience, and training
- the number and age of your children
- any additional tasks included
- whether you need a nanny by the day, a nanny by the hour, or whether you prefer a live-in or live-out nanny
- the city you live in
- and, of course, your family’s budget
Ultimately, it’s about finding the right balance between the nanny’s expectations for fair pay and your family’s needs and means. The most important thing is communication: talk openly with the nanny about your expectations, the tasks she needs to do, and the rate. Only then will you be able to reach an agreement that’s fair for both sides.
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FAQ
An hourly nanny charges between $12,000 and $26,000 COP, depending on the city, experience, and the tasks performed. In Bogotá, Cali, and Medellín, the average is around $25,000 COP per hour, while in mid-sized cities it can range between $18,000 and $22,000 COP. If the nanny has training or looks after babies, the rate can exceed $30,000 COP.
A nanny cost between $80,000 and $120,000 COP per day, depending on the length of the workday and the responsibilities assigned. If the workday exceeds 8 hours or includes additional tasks like preparing meals or cleaning, the daily pay can increase up to $150,000 COP.
A nanny in Bogotá charges between $24,000 and $26,000 COP per hour on average. In northern areas, or with families that require proven experience or education-related studies, the rate can reach $30,000 COP per hour. For night or emergency services, it’s customary to pay an additional 20%.
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