Cost per diaper is the price you pay divided by the number of diapers you get. It lets you compare a 92-count listing with a 150-count one on the same footing. The traps are in what goes into the price, what counts as a diaper and what a leak adds to the real cost.
Why pack price alone misleads
Two listings can show the same price and hold very different numbers of diapers. Take two size 4 listings: the Pampers Baby Dry Diapers, Size 4, 92 Count and the Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers, Size 4, 150 Count. The counts differ by 58, so the pack price on its own tells you nothing. You have to divide before you can say which costs less per diaper.
The simple formula
Cost per diaper = (price + your share of shipping) divided by count
- Find the current price on the product page. Prices change, so do not rely on an older figure.
- Read the count in the title, not the number of bags alone.
- Add your share of shipping, if there is any (see below).
- Divide the total by the count, and keep a couple of decimal places, because the differences are small.
Counts change with every size
Counts tend to drop as sizes rise, because each diaper is bigger, but not at every step. In the Huggies Snug & Dry listings, size 1 is a 208 count and size 6 is a 112 count, yet the size 3 listing, at 210, holds more than the size 2 listing, at 186. A cost per diaper worked out at size 2 may not match the figure at size 5, even in the same line. Keep one figure per size, and compare within the size your baby wears now.
The weight range printed on the pack tells you which size that is. The diaper sizing guide helps when your baby sits between two.
Comparing lines fairly
A fair comparison changes one thing at a time:
- Same size. A size 4 from one line and a size 4 from another can cover different weight ranges, so check both packs.
- Same kind of diaper. Compare day with day and night with night, and tab styles with tab styles.
- Diapers only. Some listings bundle other items. The Pampers Swaddlers Diapers, Size 6, 108 Count + Aqua Pure Wipes, 336 Count includes wipes, so dividing its whole price by 108 would overstate the cost of the diapers. Either take off what you would pay for the same wipes on their own, or compare it with a diaper-only listing.
Factoring in shipping
Standard shipping is 7 Canadian dollars, and it is free on orders of 100 Canadian dollars or more. So shipping adds to the cost when your order is under that amount, and adds nothing when it reaches it. For an order of diapers only, work out the item prices plus shipping, then divide by the total number of diapers. For a mixed order, split the shipping in proportion to what each item costs.
This is why a small top-up order can cost more per diaper than the same diaper bought as part of a larger order. If the free shipping amount is within reach, bundle first and then do the division.
Working through it with your own numbers
The figures below are made up to show the arithmetic. They are not our prices, so replace them with the current ones from the product pages.
| Listing | Made-up price | Count | Cost per diaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 50 | 100 | 0.50 |
| B | 80 | 200 | 0.40 |
| C | 30 | 50 | 0.60 |
Listing B is the lowest per diaper even though its pack price is the highest. Listing C is the highest per diaper even though its pack price is the lowest. Shipping can widen the gap: ordered on its own, listing C would be under the free shipping amount, so 30 plus 7 is 37, and 37 divided by 50 is 0.74 a diaper.
To turn the figure into a daily number, multiply by your changes per day. At 8 changes a day, listing B works out to 0.40 times 8, which is 3.20 a day, and listing A to 4.00 a day. Do this for the size your baby wears now and write the result next to each listing you are considering.
When cheaper per diaper costs more overall
The formula counts diapers, not results. A cheaper diaper that fits your baby poorly can cost more once you add:
- an extra diaper and a change of clothes after each leak
- extra laundry for outfits, sheets and car seat covers
- diapers that go unused because a pack was the wrong size, or because your baby outgrew the size with a stack left
The way to find out is a trial. Buy one pack of the new line, use it for a few days and count the leaks before you buy more. If the skin under the diaper looks red or sore, or a rash is not improving, ask a doctor, nurse or pharmacist instead of trying to solve it by switching diapers on your own.
Shop this guide
- Pampers Cruisers 360 Diapers, Size 6, 76 Count (ships via Amazon)
- Huggies Little Snugglers Diapers, Size 1, 168 Count (ships via Amazon)
- Huggies Overnites Diapers, Size 6, 72 Count (ships via Amazon)
- Pampers Swaddlers Diapers, Newborn, 136 Count (ships via Amazon)
- See all: Baby Diapers & Training Pants
Prices are on each product page. Free shipping on orders of $100 or more within Canada.
You can compare counts and sizes side by side in the Baby Diapers & Training Pants collection.
Common questions
Do I count diapers I never use?
If you outgrow a size with 20 left, you paid for 20 diapers you did not use, so the real cost per diaper you used is higher. This is one reason to buy a size in amounts you are sure to use.
Can I use the same method for wipes?
Yes. Divide the price by the number of wipes, not the number of packs. The Pampers Sensitive Baby Wipes, Fragrance Free, 1008 Wipes (12 Packs), for example, is listed as 1008 wipes in 12 packs.
Does a bigger count always give a lower cost per diaper?
No. The only way to know is to divide. A bundle, a shipping fee or a different line can each change the result, so work out every listing you are considering, using the price shown on the product page on the day you order.
If you would like a second pair of eyes on a comparison, send us the listings and your baby's weight through the contact page. We reply within one business day.