Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Plzen and Karlovy Vary

For one person, living is cheaper in Karlovy Vary: $1,447 a month against $1,758 in Plzen, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Plzen
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Plzen Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Karlovy Vary
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Karlovy Vary Living Index

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Plzen

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$1,758

/mo nomad

Karlovy Vary

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$1,447

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Plzen 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 Plzen and in Karlovy Vary actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,758 in Plzen versus $1,447 in Karlovy Vary.

Plzen $1,758
Karlovy Vary $1,447

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,442 in Plzen versus $2,407 in Karlovy Vary.

Plzen $2,442
Karlovy Vary $2,407

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,126 in Plzen versus $3,367 in Karlovy Vary.

Plzen $3,126
Karlovy Vary $3,367

Living in Plzen is roughly 22% more expensive than in Karlovy Vary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Plzen 30% above, Karlovy Vary 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.55 Kč 250

$9.12 Kč 197

26.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 Kč 1,084

$45.32 Kč 980

10.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 Kč 193

$8.63 Kč 187

3.59%

Cappuccino

$3.03 Kč 65.5

$2.92 Kč 63.1

3.77%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 Kč 42.93

$1.64 Kč 35.40

21.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Kč 38.52

$1.35 Kč 29.28

31.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 Kč 58.7

$2.02 Kč 43.64

34.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Kč 60.5

$1.92 Kč 41.42

45.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Kč 24.43

$1.16 Kč 25.17

-2.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 Kč 34.43

$1.43 Kč 31.01

11.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 Kč 64.3

$2.31 Kč 49.89

29.00%

Eggs

$3.84 Kč 83.0

$2.80 Kč 60.6

37.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.58 Kč 294

$12.32 Kč 266

10.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.06 Kč 218

$7.03 Kč 152

43.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.19 Kč 350

$16.70 Kč 361

-3.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 Kč 47.23

$1.86 Kč 40.12

17.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 Kč 40.22

$1.70 Kč 36.87

9.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 Kč 47.39

$2.14 Kč 46.31

2.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 Kč 76.7

$3.24 Kč 70.1

9.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 Kč 26.13

$1.06 Kč 23.03

14.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 Kč 26.15

$1.10 Kč 23.80

10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 Kč 35.32

$1.13 Kč 24.54

44.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Kč 16.54

$0.76 Kč 16.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.90 Kč 149

$7.45 Kč 161

-7.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.70 Kč 145

$6.89 Kč 149

-2.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 Kč 30.31

$0.88 Kč 19.04

59.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 Kč 37.31

$1.65 Kč 35.69

4.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 Kč 27.91

$2.26 Kč 48.81

-42.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.05 Kč 585

$25.53 Kč 552

5.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 Kč 45.54

$2.71 Kč 58.6

-22.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 Kč 29.94

$1.45 Kč 31.30

-4.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.80 Kč 298

$16.71 Kč 361

-17.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 Kč 40.39

$1.88 Kč 40.76

-0.53%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.2K Kč 652.8K

$27.5K Kč 594.6K

9.80%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$29.4K Kč 635.7K

$23.2K Kč 502.0K

26.63%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$276 Kč 5,973

$252 Kč 5,447

9.64%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.19 Kč 372

$22.47 Kč 486

-23.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.98 Kč 346

$18.84 Kč 407

-15.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.5 Kč 1,286

$57.9 Kč 1,252

2.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.43 Kč 312

$21.42 Kč 463

-32.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 Kč 244

$6.93 Kč 150

62.91%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$331 Kč 7,165

$182 Kč 3,941

81.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K Kč 236.1K

$2,794 Kč 60.4K

290.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.9 Kč 1,706

$83.4 Kč 1,804

-5.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.82 Kč 926

$36.53 Kč 790

17.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Kč 1,863

$101 Kč 2,175

-14.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 Kč 2,371

$123 Kč 2,656

-10.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 Kč 15.6K

$692 Kč 15.0K

4.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 Kč 15.2K

$470 Kč 10.2K

49.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$928 Kč 20.1K

$1,642 Kč 35.5K

-43.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$908 Kč 19.6K

$1,305 Kč 28.2K

-30.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,061 Kč 109.5K

$6,820 Kč 147.5K

-25.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,070 Kč 88.0K

$5,127 Kč 110.9K

-20.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,905 Kč 41.2K

$1,404 Kč 30.4K

35.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.67

2.78%

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

Last update for Plzen: October 13, 2026

Last update for Karlovy Vary: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Plzen

$704 40.1%

Karlovy Vary

$470 32.5% 33.3% $235

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plzen

$309 17.6%

Karlovy Vary

$293 20.3% 5.2% $16

Groceries & Markets

Plzen

$288 16.4%

Karlovy Vary

$253 17.5% 12.1% $35

Eating Out

Plzen

$190 10.8%

Karlovy Vary

$160 11% 15.8% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Plzen

$143 8.1%

Karlovy Vary

$155 10.7% 8.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Plzen

$82 4.7%

Karlovy Vary

$72 5% 12.5% $10

Getting Around

Plzen

$41 2.4%

Karlovy Vary

$45 3.1% 7.9% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $720 in Plzen and $692 in Karlovy Vary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Plzen pays 36% 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: $50.0 in Plzen vs $45.00 in Karlovy Vary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $253 per month, with Karlovy Vary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇿 Plzen

🇨🇿 Karlovy Vary

🕒 Local time

06:27 6:27 AM

Same time as Plzen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

168,951

52,065

💱 Currency

Czech Koruna CZK Kč

📈 Exchange rate

100 CZK = 4.62 USD

100 CZK = 4.11 EUR

100 CZK = 4.62 USD

100 CZK = 4.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Plzen Karlovy Vary 65 km

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Plzen
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Plzen vs Karlovy Vary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karlovy Vary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 36% higher in Plzen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $720 in Plzen versus $692 in Karlovy Vary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Karlovy Vary – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $50.0 in Plzen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,758 per month in Plzen versus $1,447 in Karlovy Vary – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,447 in Karlovy Vary versus $1,758 in Plzen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Karlovy Vary but tight or insufficient in Plzen. The gap between the two cities makes Karlovy Vary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Plzen 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.

Expats usually find Karlovy Vary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Plzen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.