Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Prague and Karlovy Vary

For one person, living is cheaper in Karlovy Vary: $1,447 a month against $2,035 in Prague, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Prague
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Prague Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Karlovy Vary
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Karlovy Vary Living Index

Jump to prices

Prague

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$2,035

/mo nomad

Karlovy Vary

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$1,447

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,035 in Prague versus $1,447 in Karlovy Vary.

Prague $2,035
Karlovy Vary $1,447

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,943 in Prague versus $2,407 in Karlovy Vary.

Prague $2,943
Karlovy Vary $2,407

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,851 in Prague versus $3,367 in Karlovy Vary.

Prague $3,851
Karlovy Vary $3,367

Living in Prague is roughly 41% 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: Prague 51% above, Karlovy Vary 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.85 Kč 235

$9.12 Kč 197

18.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.1 Kč 1,105

$45.32 Kč 980

12.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 Kč 221

$8.63 Kč 187

18.42%

Cappuccino

$3.58 Kč 77.5

$2.92 Kč 63.1

22.60%

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

$2.03 Kč 44.00

$1.64 Kč 35.40

23.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 Kč 30.71

$1.35 Kč 29.28

5.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 Kč 68.8

$2.02 Kč 43.64

57.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 Kč 67.7

$1.92 Kč 41.42

63.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 Kč 23.32

$1.16 Kč 25.17

-6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 Kč 34.95

$1.43 Kč 31.01

13.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Kč 51.9

$2.31 Kč 49.89

3.90%

Eggs

$3.72 Kč 80.5

$2.80 Kč 60.6

32.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.99 Kč 259

$12.32 Kč 266

-2.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.54 Kč 185

$7.03 Kč 152

21.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.12 Kč 305

$16.70 Kč 361

-15.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 Kč 41.11

$1.86 Kč 40.12

2.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 Kč 37.61

$1.70 Kč 36.87

2.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 Kč 47.20

$2.14 Kč 46.31

1.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 Kč 80.5

$3.24 Kč 70.1

14.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 Kč 21.62

$1.06 Kč 23.03

-5.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 Kč 21.87

$1.10 Kč 23.80

-8.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 Kč 33.45

$1.13 Kč 24.54

37.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Kč 16.91

$0.76 Kč 16.42

2.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.69 Kč 166

$7.45 Kč 161

3.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.79 Kč 147

$6.89 Kč 149

-1.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 Kč 25.74

$0.88 Kč 19.04

35.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 Kč 42.70

$1.65 Kč 35.69

19.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 Kč 38.44

$2.26 Kč 48.81

-21.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.11 Kč 457

$25.53 Kč 552

-17.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 Kč 57.7

$2.71 Kč 58.6

-1.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 Kč 35.48

$1.45 Kč 31.30

13.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.40 Kč 420

$16.71 Kč 361

16.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 Kč 42.50

$1.88 Kč 40.76

4.79%

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

$30.6K Kč 662.6K

$27.5K Kč 594.6K

11.44%

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

$34.1K Kč 737.0K

$23.2K Kč 502.0K

46.81%

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

$284 Kč 6,134

$252 Kč 5,447

12.60%

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

$23.46 Kč 507

$22.47 Kč 486

4.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.04 Kč 477

$18.84 Kč 407

16.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 Kč 1,467

$57.9 Kč 1,252

17.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.40 Kč 376

$21.42 Kč 463

-18.77%

Cinema Ticket

$13.08 Kč 283

$6.93 Kč 150

88.74%

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

$1,094 Kč 23.7K

$182 Kč 3,941

500.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K Kč 404.5K

$2,794 Kč 60.4K

569.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 Kč 1,995

$83.4 Kč 1,804

10.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.06 Kč 1,018

$36.53 Kč 790

28.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 Kč 2,391

$101 Kč 2,175

9.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 Kč 2,790

$123 Kč 2,656

5.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Kč 24.2K

$692 Kč 15.0K

61.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 Kč 20.4K

$470 Kč 10.2K

100.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 Kč 48.3K

$1,642 Kč 35.5K

36.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 Kč 33.9K

$1,305 Kč 28.2K

19.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,321 Kč 201.6K

$6,820 Kč 147.5K

36.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,757 Kč 146.1K

$5,127 Kč 110.9K

31.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,344 Kč 50.7K

$1,404 Kč 30.4K

66.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

4.67

1.07%

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

Last update for Prague: October 11, 2026

Last update for Karlovy Vary: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Prague

$942 46.3%

Karlovy Vary

$470 32.5% 50.1% $472

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Prague

$329 16.2%

Karlovy Vary

$293 20.3% 10.9% $36

Groceries & Markets

Prague

$264 13%

Karlovy Vary

$253 17.5% 3.9% $10

Eating Out

Prague

$196 9.7%

Karlovy Vary

$160 11% 18.7% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Prague

$171 8.4%

Karlovy Vary

$155 10.7% 9.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Prague

$94 4.6%

Karlovy Vary

$72 5% 23.7% $22

Getting Around

Prague

$39 1.9%

Karlovy Vary

$45 3.1% 13.8% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Prague and $692 in Karlovy Vary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Prague pays 67% 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: $51.0 in Prague vs $45.00 in Karlovy Vary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $253 per month, with Karlovy Vary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇿 Prague

🇨🇿 Karlovy Vary

🕒 Local time

05:42 5:42 AM

Same time as Prague

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,251,933 Capital

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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Karlovy Vary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 67% higher in Prague, 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: $1,117 in Prague 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 $51.0 in Prague. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,035 per month in Prague versus $1,447 in Karlovy Vary – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,447 in Karlovy Vary versus $2,035 in Prague, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Karlovy Vary but tight or insufficient in Prague. The gap between the two cities makes Karlovy Vary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Karlovy Vary is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Prague, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Prague 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 41% less than in Prague. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.