Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ostrava and Karlovy Vary

For one person, living costs are similar in Ostrava and in Karlovy Vary: $1,495 and $1,447 a month, rent and utilities included.

Ostrava
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
$1,495
/mo nomad
Karlovy Vary
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
$1,447
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ostrava and in Karlovy Vary

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ostrava and in Karlovy Vary actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,495 in Ostrava versus $1,447 in Karlovy Vary.

  • Ostrava $1,495
  • Karlovy Vary $1,447

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Ostrava versus $2,407 in Karlovy Vary.

  • Ostrava $2,255
  • Karlovy Vary $2,407

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,014 in Ostrava versus $3,367 in Karlovy Vary.

  • Ostrava $3,014
  • Karlovy Vary $3,367

Living in Ostrava is roughly 3% more expensive than in Karlovy Vary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ostrava 11% above, Karlovy Vary 7% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ostrava
Karlovy Vary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.68 Kč 231
$9.12 Kč 197
17.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.86 Kč 1,057
$45.32 Kč 980
7.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.38 Kč 181
$8.63 Kč 187
-2.90%
Cappuccino
$3.22 Kč 69.7
$2.92 Kč 63.1
10.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 Kč 39.57
$1.64 Kč 35.40
11.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 Kč 33.59
$1.35 Kč 29.28
14.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.31 Kč 50.0
$2.02 Kč 43.64
14.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 Kč 50.4
$1.92 Kč 41.42
21.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ostrava
Karlovy Vary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 Kč 24.76
$1.16 Kč 25.17
-1.72%
White Bread (500g)
$1.53 Kč 33.20
$1.43 Kč 31.01
6.99%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.60 Kč 56.3
$2.31 Kč 49.89
12.55%
Eggs
$3.53 Kč 76.4
$2.80 Kč 60.6
26.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.69 Kč 253
$12.32 Kč 266
-5.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.43 Kč 226
$7.03 Kč 152
48.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.21 Kč 286
$16.70 Kč 361
-20.90%
Apples (1kg)
$1.66 Kč 35.83
$1.86 Kč 40.12
-10.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.80 Kč 38.89
$1.70 Kč 36.87
5.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 Kč 48.72
$2.14 Kč 46.31
5.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.54 Kč 76.6
$3.24 Kč 70.1
9.26%
Potato (1kg)
$1.06 Kč 22.93
$1.06 Kč 23.03
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.02 Kč 22.12
$1.10 Kč 23.80
-7.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.56 Kč 33.79
$1.13 Kč 24.54
38.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 Kč 15.45
$0.76 Kč 16.42
-6.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.53 Kč 163
$7.45 Kč 161
1.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.95 Kč 150
$6.89 Kč 149
0.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 Kč 18.76
$0.88 Kč 19.04
-1.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 Kč 45.08
$1.65 Kč 35.69
26.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Ostrava
Karlovy Vary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.38 Kč 29.86
$2.26 Kč 48.81
-38.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.28 Kč 547
$25.53 Kč 552
-0.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.26 Kč 48.79
$2.71 Kč 58.6
-16.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.55 Kč 33.59
$1.45 Kč 31.30
6.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.10 Kč 500
$16.71 Kč 361
38.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 Kč 40.54
$1.88 Kč 40.76
-0.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.3K Kč 675.9K
$27.5K Kč 594.6K
13.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.6K Kč 641.0K
$23.2K Kč 502.0K
27.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ostrava
Karlovy Vary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 Kč 4,830
$252 Kč 5,447
-11.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.47 Kč 508
$22.47 Kč 486
4.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.96 Kč 367
$18.84 Kč 407
-9.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ostrava
Karlovy Vary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.8 Kč 1,164
$57.9 Kč 1,252
-7.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.80 Kč 428
$21.42 Kč 463
-7.56%
Cinema Ticket
$9.09 Kč 197
$6.93 Kč 150
31.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ostrava
Karlovy Vary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$417 Kč 9,013
$182 Kč 3,941
128.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,711 Kč 210.0K
$2,794 Kč 60.4K
247.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ostrava
Karlovy Vary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.9 Kč 1,640
$83.4 Kč 1,804
-9.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.26 Kč 914
$36.53 Kč 790
15.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.5 Kč 2,109
$101 Kč 2,175
-3.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 Kč 2,385
$123 Kč 2,656
-10.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ostrava
Karlovy Vary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$675 Kč 14.6K
$692 Kč 15.0K
-2.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$526 Kč 11.4K
$470 Kč 10.2K
12.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,279 Kč 27.6K
$1,642 Kč 35.5K
-22.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$922 Kč 19.9K
$1,305 Kč 28.2K
-29.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,133 Kč 67.7K
$6,820 Kč 147.5K
-54.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,318 Kč 50.1K
$5,127 Kč 110.9K
-54.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ostrava
Karlovy Vary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,713 Kč 37.0K
$1,404 Kč 30.4K
22.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.06
4.67
8.35%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ostrava: October 12, 2026

Last update for Karlovy Vary: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ostrava
$526
Karlovy Vary
$470 10.7% $56
Groceries & Markets
Ostrava
$266
Karlovy Vary
$253 4.9% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ostrava
$264
Karlovy Vary
$293 11.2% $29
Eating Out
Ostrava
$179
Karlovy Vary
$160 10.8% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Ostrava
$147
Karlovy Vary
$155 5.3% $7.8
Sport & Entertainment
Ostrava
$72
Karlovy Vary
$72 0.4% $0.3
Getting Around
Ostrava
$41
Karlovy Vary
$45 9% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $675 in Ostrava and $692 in Karlovy Vary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ostrava pays 22% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Ostrava vs $45.00 in Karlovy Vary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $253 per month, with Karlovy Vary cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇿 Ostrava
🇨🇿 Karlovy Vary
🕒 Local time
06:27 6:27 AM
06:27 6:27 AM
Same time as Ostrava
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
304,880
52,065
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CZK – Czech Koruna Converter

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 21.63 CZK (100 CZK = 4.62 USD). 1 EUR = 24.31 CZK (100 CZK = 4.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ostrava Karlovy Vary 390 km
From you
  • Ostrava
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Ostrava vs Karlovy Vary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Karlovy Vary cheaper than Ostrava?
Karlovy Vary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Ostrava or Karlovy Vary?
Average pay runs 22% higher in Ostrava, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Ostrava and Karlovy Vary?
Rent for a central apartment: $675 in Ostrava versus $692 in Karlovy Vary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Ostrava or in Karlovy Vary?
Dining out is cheaper in Karlovy Vary – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $49.00 in Ostrava. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Ostrava and in Karlovy Vary?
All in, you'll spend $1,495 per month in Ostrava versus $1,447 in Karlovy Vary – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Ostrava or in Karlovy Vary?
At $1,447 in Karlovy Vary versus $1,495 in Ostrava, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Karlovy Vary but tight or insufficient in Ostrava. The gap between the two cities makes Karlovy Vary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Ostrava or Karlovy Vary more family-friendly?
For families, Karlovy Vary is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ostrava, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Ostrava or Karlovy Vary?
Safety-wise, Ostrava and Karlovy Vary are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Karlovy Vary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Ostrava. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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