A mother working full-time in the South West of England would need to work 19 weeks a year, or 672 hours, earning an average wage before she would break even on childcare costs for the year.
This compares with a working mother in the West Midlands who - according to the research by child trust fund provider Family Investments - would need to work 16 weeks a year to meet her annual childcare costs.
The analysis is based on childminder and nursery costs data from local authorities and earnings data from the Office of National Statistics. The figures are based on a working week 0f 36.3 hours a week.
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