Czech Republic price guide
Short answer: on the pricey side, even at local prices. Fair prices sit 57% above the 60-country median, and tourist prices are about 2.5× the fair price.
29 prices checked Apr – Aug 2026 20 verified, 8 estimates, and 1 rough estimate How I check
All 29 prices are also in the free app for iPhone and Android, and they work offline. Get it
About $39 or $97 a day.
The first number is what locals pay, the second what tourist spots charge for exactly the same day.
Same day, same things: the tourist version costs 2.5× as much.
Restaurant meal alone: Kč 1,100, or 52% of the tourist-trap day.
+Kč 1,260 (about $58) for the same day
| Item | Fair (Kč) | Trap (Kč) |
|---|---|---|
| Street food meal | 115 | 300 |
| Restaurant meal | 450 | 1,100 |
| Coffee (espresso) | 78 | 135 |
| Water 1.5 L | 19 | 68 |
| Local beer | 63 | 130 |
| Public transit ticket 2 rides | 86 | 220 |
| Short taxi ride about 1 km | 32 | 150 |
| Total | 842 | 2,102 |
Tourist-trap price compared with the fair price, using the middle of each range.
Pick what you are buying, type the price, and see where it lands.
about $4.60
Tourist-trap price
Kč 100 is 3.1× the middle of the fair range (Kč 28–36).
Tourists often get charged Kč 99–200. From Kč 99 you are paying the tourist-trap price.
In the app, every expense you log on a trip gets the same check, offline.
What 29 everyday things should cost, and what tourists often pay instead. Typical for Prague, Český Krumlov, Brno, Karlovy Vary, and Olomouc.
Bars run from zero to each item's top tourist-trap price.
Restaurant meal: fair is Kč 300–600. From Kč 700 you are on the tourist menu.
Bottled, convenience store
Verified ·Cafe or street vendor
Verified ·Draft, at bar or restaurant
Verified ·Tourist area, main course
Estimate, reviewedLocal market or stand
Verified ·Mixed drink, bar
Verified ·House wine, restaurant
Estimate, reviewedCafe or street stall
Estimate, reviewedAirport taxi to the center: fair is Kč 400–800. At Kč 1,500 or more, walk away.
Standard route
Verified ·Metered or typical fare
Verified ·Single ride
Verified ·Grab / Bolt / Uber
Verified ·Fridge magnet: fair is Kč 50–100. From Kč 150 you are paying the souvenir-stall markup.
Tourist shop
Estimate, reviewedTourist shop
Estimate, reviewedCeramics, textiles, etc.
Verified ·Tourist SIM: fair is Kč 299–500. From Kč 600 it is the tourist-kiosk price.
Data package
Verified ·Pharmacy or shop
Verified ·Supermarket
Verified ·Pack of 20
Verified ·Pack of 20 tablets
Estimate, reviewedSpray or lotion
Rough estimateOne-hour massage: fair is Kč 900–1,600. From Kč 1,700 you are paying for the address.
Local barbershop
Verified ·Laundry service
Verified ·Standard full-body massage
Verified ·Basic cut, salon
Verified ·Top museum or attraction: fair is Kč 200–500. From Kč 800, check that you are not buying through a reseller.
Entrance ticket
Verified ·Organized excursion
Verified ·Organized excursion 6-8h
Estimate, reviewedLocal cuisine cooking class
Estimate, reviewedConverted at 1 USD = 21.72 CZK, the rate on October 3, 2026. Approximate.
Currency
Czech koruna (CZK)
Quick converter, CZK to USD
When a card terminal or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, choose CZK. The rate it offers is almost always worse.
Tip 10% in Czech restaurants, but hand it directly to the waiter, never leave it on the table, as it may be assumed forgotten. When paying, state the total you want to pay (e.g. "400 Kč") and the waiter keeps the difference.
Bargaining is generally not part of Czech culture in shops. At outdoor markets and antique fairs, politely asking for a small discount is acceptable, but do not push hard, vendors rarely drop more than 5–10%.
What tourists actually run into, from overcharging tricks to local laws. Open any item for the details.
In Praga's tourist core. Wenceslas Square, Old Town Square, around Charles Bridge, currency exchange booths advertise '0 % commission' but use rates 20-30 % worse than banks, or pay in old 1000-CZK notes no longer legal tender. Czech law (2019) lets you cancel within 3 hours at the same booth. Use only ATMs of major Czech banks (ČSOB, KB, Česká spořitelna) and always request a printed receipt.
Around Prague's Old Town and Wenceslas Square, unmarked taxis inflate meters 4-5× the city cap of 28 CZK per km, and 'Thai massage' or 'gentlemen's club' touts lead tourists to venues with 3,000–10,000 CZK drink bills backed by security bouncers. Use the official AAA Radiotaxi or Liftago app, never flag a cab by the Astronomical Clock, and avoid any bar entered via a tout.
The Czech Republic enforces a 0,00 ‰ blood-alcohol limit for all drivers and e-scooter users, there is no morning-after margin. Fines range from 2,500 CZK for trace amounts up to 50,000 CZK plus a ban for > 1 ‰; > 1 ‰ is a criminal offence with up to 3 years prison. Don't cycle in Prague or ride an e-scooter after any beer. Czech beer averages 4-5 % ABV.
Souvenir stalls in Prague's Old Town sell 'hallucinogenic absinthe' for 800–1,500 CZK, the thujone level is negligible and the bottles are often coloured grain alcohol. 'Magic mushroom' chocolates are illegal (1–5 years prison). Crystal and Bohemian glass branded 'Moser' or 'Preciosa' without certificates is counterfeit. Buy spirits in supermarkets (Albert, Kaufland) and crystal only in certified shops.
Always look people in the eye when clinking glasses for a toast, looking away is thought to bring bad luck (and bad intimate life for 7 years, as the saying goes). Also, don't call the country "Czechoslovakia", it hasn't existed since 1993.
Bohemian crystal (česky křišťál) has been world-renowned for centuries, find vases, glasses, and chandeliers in specialty shops across Prague. Becherovka herbal liqueur from Karlovy Vary is a distinctly Czech spirit. Czech garnet (pyrope) jewelry is another traditional pick. Grab some locally brewed beer, hand-painted Easter eggs, or traditional wooden marionettes.
The Czech Republic requires an electronic vignette for motorways. Purchase at edalnice.cz before entering. 2026 prices: 1-day (230 CZK), 10-day (300 CZK), 30-day (480 CZK), and annual (2,570 CZK). Enforcement is automated via cameras; driving without a valid vignette can result in fines up to 20,000 CZK.
The prices on this page are typical for these cities and the tourist areas around them.
The TruePrice Index for the Czech Republic, next to the countries people weigh it against and its nearest neighbors, all on one scale. 100 is the median of the 60 countries I track.
Serbia 110 Prices about 30% lower than in the Czech Republic 
Poland 121 Prices about 23% lower than in the Czech Republic 
Hungary 141 Prices about 10% lower than in the Czech Republic 
Croatia 154 About the same as in the Czech Republic Czech Republic 157 This page 
Germany 179 Prices about 14% higher than in the Czech Republic 
Switzerland 315 Prices about 2.0× as high as in the Czech Republic Short answer: on the pricey side, even at local prices. Fair prices sit 57% above the 60-country median, and tourist prices are about 2.5× the fair price. On the TruePrice Index, the Czech Republic scores 157, the 9th most expensive of the 60 countries I track.
Roughly Kč 842 (about $39) a day at fair prices, or Kč 2,102 (about $97) at tourist prices. That covers two meals, a coffee, a bottle of water, a beer, two transit rides and a short taxi ride. Sightseeing comes on top (Kč 200–500 for a top museum or attraction), and accommodation is not included.
Tip 10% in Czech restaurants, but hand it directly to the waiter, never leave it on the table, as it may be assumed forgotten. When paying, state the total you want to pay (e.g. "400 Kč") and the waiter keeps the difference.
The Czech koruna (CZK). On October 3, 2026, 1 USD was worth 21.72 CZK. Card terminals and ATMs that offer to charge you in your home currency usually give a worse rate, so pay in CZK.
A restaurant main course is Kč 300–600 (about $14 – $28) at fair prices, while tourist menus charge Kč 700–1,500. A street food meal runs Kč 80–150. A local beer is Kč 45–80 (about $2.10 – $3.70), or Kč 110–150 in tourist bars.
Budget roughly Kč 842 (about $39) a day for food, drinks and getting around at local prices, or about Kč 2,102 (about $97) at tourist prices. Add Kč 200–500 for each major sight, plus your accommodation.
Call 112, the general emergency number. Direct lines: police 158, ambulance 155, fire brigade 150.
Where these numbers come from, and how sure I am about each one.
How to cite
TruePrice Index, October 2026, truepriceapp.com/en/trueprice-index/
Spotted a price that looks off? Email me at contact@truepriceapp.com and I will check it.
Check the fair price at the market stall or in the taxi, before you pay. Free on iPhone and Android.
