5 Negatives of Moving to Prague

5 cons of living in Prague, Czech Republic! I recently shared a video talking about all the positives of living in Prague. Discussing everything from safety, transportation, things to do, and so much more. And I stand by everything I said, I think Prague is an amazing city!

But I believe that no place is 100% perfect. And living here in Prague has pros and cons just like everywhere else. So in this video I am going to share 5 downsides of living here. Such as the cost of living and housing, the winters, and others! These topics are particularly relevant if you are moving to Prague, Czechia as an expat.

I hope you enjoy and understand that these are just my own experiences and opinions :)

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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:28 Cost of Living vs. Salary
02:44 Dark Winters
04:01 Difficult to Make Friends
05:14 A Touristy City
07:01 Bureaucratic Difficulties
08:45 Conclusion

[stevemcgowen]

if someone moves to Prague and thinks they will get a flat in Old Town on a server's salary, they didn't do any research. My partner and I shop mostly at farmer's markets, which are cheaper than, say Tesco. Moving from NE, Ohio, I find Prague winters to be mild. I moved here already having a lot of Czech friends and partner, so things were pretty easy. I pretty much never hang out with expats. The bureaucracy is partly why CR doesn't have the problems other countries in Europe have with people in those countries who are not there legally.

[sDude]

I'm an American living in CR/Prague region for 34 years. I accept your opinions and you make it clear they are based on your experience. Here is my personal breakdown of your five ''cons'' of living in Prague. 1) Your salary stats are about right. However, you can find a cheaper and bigger apartment than you have. We own an apartment that we rent out for about 475 EUR a month. Granted we could charge more but, as with most cities, it depends on where you live in the city. 2) Yes, winters are dark. I realize this from using solar panels and it's something to consider if you want to live here. It's not so cold however and there are some sunny days or days with periods of sun. 3) The average Czech is, I have found, friendly and wants to be helpful. I totally disagree with your ''difficult to make friends'' belief. If you are part of a Czech collective, either at work or, as in my case, a sports club, you will find people are super welcoming and, to this day, for me, they will drop everything to help me out. I firmly believe that my Czech friends here are more authentic than my friends back in the US. My knowledge of the country comes from being shown around--to castles, cottages, hiking, etc. I was never an expat that hung out primarly with other expats and this has made my life here much more rewarding. 4) Totally agree that the city has been taken over by tourists and it's a shame. If you want to see Prague, from the Prague Castle to the Old Town, I suggest you go into town early and visit pubs and restaurants outside the center or at least on back streets. 5) Bureaucracy is a pain here for a foreigner as well as a Czech. I suspect that would be true for a Czech tourist trying to stay long-term in the US. My advice is to get a job here where they will do the paperwork for you or at least assist you.

[petrsebik]

1:07 43k was average salary in Czechia, but Prague is more expensive and also have higher salaries, so the average was 57k, which is actually about 44k after taxes, you can find small apartments under 20k, so you would pay less then 50% for the accomodation. Also if you pay more then 35% of your income for accomodation, you can get some housing benefits from the goverment, altought if you are a foreigner, you have to live here long term to get the benefits.

Of course if you live with your partner or a friend and you have 2 average salaries for the household, then living in Prague with 110k household income is pretty easy.

[talknight]

You know, I spent almost a year in the Czech Republic once, from October to July, so mostly the colder months, but I barely have memories of it being dark and cold. If I think really hard I can remember the snow and wind, but mostly I remember decent weather and green parks.

[nadabrychtova]

It depends in which part of Prague you live. You can have better and cheaper apartment further from the center.

[JorgeGarcia-lwvc]

Number for 3 for sure, even if it's just one aspect of the typical local. In my view when a local does not know or has not known you for a long time and is not on a first name or ty basis, then that local will be extremely reserved or distant. There is a strong social aversion towards not so close people, especially in Prague and to a lesser extent in wider Bohemia (much less so in Moravia and a different planet in Slovakia or Slavic countries). This social aversion is likely the result of Czechs being under occupation or dictatorship, or combination of both for 4-5 centuries, depending on how you count. Unlike Poles who had the church for community, , or the Slovaks who were left to their own business under a neglecting Hungarian rule, the Czechs were pretty much living close to their oppressors and so on their own, sticking only to those very close social circles, and taking on the behavior of inconspicuous, compliant subjects that in order to survive were better off not caring or not overtly asking questions. However, Bohemian Czechs change a lot in close social circles. You see these in the Sokols, parties and family gatherings, and they show that inner self much more proudly and comfortably and with so much joy, fund and relaxedness. I often say that the typical (Prague or Bohemian) Czech has the side of Franz-Josef being the orderly, disciplined, serious, reserved, punctual subject, and of Švejk, the dude who lets loose, has fun, gets loud and just could not give an EFF, and will treat people roughly but with lots of joy.

[ErikWerlin]

As an American that wants to leave the US the more I research Prague and the Czech Republic the more it sounds like the perfect place for me haha. Other than the language being crazy difficult to learn the culture and the way of life sounds to suit me perfectly.

[korbel.design]

I'm not sure here... 1) when I lived in London, I had to share an apartment with another person, the apartment was shit and still I was paying nearly half of my salary. So paying half of your salary for an entire place isn't bad at all. 2) Dark winters — well, surprise surprise, this is not California or Ecuador and you should expect this type of weather in this part of the world. 3) Friends — I find this very speculative and personally think Czech people who speak English well, are very friendly compared to, say Hungarians for example. 4) Tourism — again, surprise surprise — Prague is a beautiful city and tourism has been flourishing here because of that. I'm not happy with it, but I guess beauty has its flipside of the coin 5) bureaucracy — that's probably the only point I would tend to agree with you on, but hey, you are in Europe, most of the old traditional lands like Bohemia, Austria, Hungary, UK, Spain, etc. are bureaucratic. Sometimes more sometimes less. Don't forget Prague is the city of Franz Kafka so you can get on trial for a crime that hasn't been specified :) All the best

[mitchellbarnow]

Jake, seriously, your videos, whether or long form, are excellent!

[EVBell-gziv]

i've lived here for over 8 years and agree with pretty much it all. though for me the language has been the biggest challenge of living here. getting past the beginner's czech phase was an emotional struggle for me with how many negative reactions i had when using "bad" Czech, it made me want to avoid the language. I've (mostly) gotten past that now but i do think my life here will be better when I get to a higher fluency. at least now i can have conversations (even if somewhat limited), tho i still struggle with feel ashamed, i try to ignore it and just focus on the good experiences

[GFX_REVIEWS]

I was living in hostel accommodation in Prague during the coronavirus lockdown and rent prices during that time were low but once the borders reopened in March 2022 the hostel prices skyrocketed and a person would have to book his/her accommodation 1 to 2 weeks in advance before every thing gets booked out by tourists. If you don't book early you end up homeless on the street over the weekend that's exactly what happened to me.

[majenazprahy]

I agree that the winters in Prague are be long and depressive, but then the summer days are very long and warm (now even scorching hot). So if you get over Nov- eo Feb period, things start to look brigher. From mid May- mid Sep you can spend long evenings out and enjoy lots of outdoor activities. So save your holidays for winter and get an escape to exotic destinations- you will double appreciate it :) (If you are employed in Prg, you normally get 5 weeks paid holiday which also is a plus side).

[LaszloVondracsek]

Very interesting video! Yes, many of the things heard here are real, but found not only in Prague, but in general in all ex-communist countries in central and eastern Europe. I'm from Romania, even from Bucharest, and a lot of negative things (low salaries, gray and cold days in winter, bureaucratic difficulties) are the same here. With the difference that Bucharest is not Prague...

[Wakeupcall-cp]

Now average salary in Czech 2025 is 50 000kc means 2 000€. Burr free medication and education are good. Czech is lowest poverty rate in EU.you are right. Apartment cost in Prague is expensive. Unfortunately most big cities are like that.

[cetn]

Wow thats so true, now I know I am not fantasizing. I pay more than the half of my income for rent. In winter you get depressed, but you should also mention that in the summer, when it gets very hot, it is also awful because there are bo options to cool down and in the big city its really unpleasant. I have not managed to make one single friend in one year, and I really feel that Czechs are cold and exclusive, especially when you don't speak the language. I don't care about the tourists, but its true, there are always very much of them everywhere. The bureaucracy is really crazy. Best.

[CZpersi]

We may come around as cold at times, but we often mind our own business and respect your privacy. It may cause difficulties in finding friends, but it also allows you to explore our country freely without anyone bothering you. Language barrier is also a problem. Czechs have very little confidence in foreign languages as they are afraid of embarassing themselves for not speaking perfectly. Unlike other nations, where people are eager to tell you a large story with the only three words, they have just learned.

[tomasbecka]

Czech republic has one of the lowest poverty rates in europe and also we also rank top 5 in the equality index, so most people here make ends meet.

[Dexxter_slav]

20k for a studio? Then you must live in the city center. I live in Prague. Have 2+1 and i pay 20k all included.. before this lived in a studio for 15.5k. you got robbed

[AntonioLanga-jkxw]

these problems are not only for prague nor Expats only.

[JoshuaEnglish-xz]

I would fit in Czech Republic so well as I dont like small talks at all