🇨🇿 Czechia
Moving to Prague
Prague is beautiful, well connected and no longer the bargain it was a decade ago, though it remains cheaper than any Western European capital of comparable quality. The administrative detail that trips people is the foreign police registration, which has a short deadline and applies to non-EU arrivals whose accommodation has not reported them. The advertised rent is also only part of the monthly cost: service charges and electricity sit on top, and are settled once a year.
- Visit
- €49
- Starter
- €499
- Premium
- €1,200
Register with the foreign police within three working days of arriving.
Where to live
Neighbourhoods in Prague
Vinohrady
Professionals, familiesThe established international district: leafy streets, high ceilings, excellent trams and metro line A. Many buildings have no lift.
Žižkov
Young professionals, value seekersNext to Vinohrady, hillier and cheaper, with the densest concentration of pubs in the city.
Karlín
Professionals, couplesRiverside, rebuilt after the 2002 floods, modern and well served, with a cluster of offices. Among the dearest rents.
Holešovice
Creatives, value seekersFormer industrial quarter north of the river, with galleries, the market hall and new riverside blocks. Still reasonable, with Letná and Stromovka parks alongside.
Dejvice
Families, academicsPrague 6: embassies, the technical university, villas on the hills and metro line A. Quiet, green and close to several international schools.
Smíchov
Professionals, commutersAcross the river around Anděl: offices, a transport hub and a rail station, with quieter streets up the hill and along the embankment.
What it costs to rent
Indicative rents
Monthly, excluding poplatky (service charges) of roughly Kč 2,000–4,000, and excluding electricity.
- One-bed, centralCZK 22,000 – 32,000
- One-bed, outer districtsCZK 16,000 – 22,000
- Room in a shared flatCZK 9,000 – 14,000
Indicative only · last checked · your Insider confirms before you commit.
What catches people out
Agency commission
Typically a month's rent plus VAT, commonly charged to the tenant, and entirely legal here. Budget for it rather than being surprised at signing.
Service charges quoted separately
The advertised rent usually excludes heating, water and building services, paid as monthly advances and reconciled once a year. Ask for the total monthly figure and last year's reconciliation.
Deposit-before-viewing
The usual fraud, running on the usual sites and in Facebook groups. Nobody legitimate takes money before you have been inside.
A landlord who will not confirm the accommodation
Non-EU residence files need the owner's signed confirmation of accommodation. A flat whose owner will not sign one cannot carry your permit.
After the keys
The admin that follows a move
On Premium, your Insider does this with you rather than sending you a checklist.
How long a move to Prague takes. Three to four weeks. September is the tightest month.
- Step 1
Foreign police registration
Non-EU arrivals must report their address within three working days if the accommodation has not done it for them. EU citizens staying over 30 days have 30 days. The deadline is short and enforced.
- Step 2
Residence permit and address
Your registered address is tied to your permit; report a move to the Ministry of the Interior within the deadline your permit sets.
- Step 3
Bank account
Czech banks want a passport and proof of address; some want a residence document. Your bank login (Bank iD) then opens most government portals.
- Step 4
Utilities
Electricity and gas are contracted by you or included in the poplatky depending on the building. Confirm which before signing.
LanguageCzech for leases and offices. English is common in the centre and in the expat districts. Your Insider works with you in English and negotiates on your behalf in whatever the lease is written in.
Relocation tools
Plan the move to Prague
Small tools built on this guide: what a month costs, the steps in order, what to pack and what to do when you land. Indicative figures, in the local currency.
- Cost calculatorA month in the city, three ways, in the local currency.Open
- Visa timelineYour route, step by step, with how long each part takes.Open
- Neighbourhood matchmakerFour questions, one neighbourhood, and what a one-bed costs there.Open
- Packing listA checklist for this city and the season you land in.Open
- First 48 hoursWhat to do first after landing, in the order that works.Open
- Local appsThe phone setup that runs daily life, and what each replaces.Open
- Speak localUseful phrases for taxis, cafés and the flat, read aloud.Open
- Dish finderWhat to order, by time of day, and what it is called.Open
- Weekend getawaysEasy escapes, by travel time and how you get there.Open
Pricing for Prague
What a move to Prague costs
These are the fees in Prague, published before you start, in euros. No commission on your rent, no percentage of the lease, no success fee.
Visit
Your Insider visits for you€49single · €99 pack of 3- In-person visit by a local Insider
- Video walkthrough
- Area report
- Scam check
- Most popular
Starter
Full home search€499flat fee · Prague- Personal shortlist
- Viewings with video
- Lease negotiation & review
- Handover & keys
- 50% to start, 50% at the keys
Premium
Home search + full setup€1,200flat fee · Prague- Everything in Starter
- Bank, SIM & registration
- Utilities & internet
- Healthcare & school search
- First-week orientation
The full guide
Five deep dives for someone arriving, not visiting
- Housing A tight rental market where the advertised rent is only part of the cost, the agency commission usually lands on the tenant, and the lease is also the document your residence permit runs on.
- Paperwork A short, hard deadline with the foreign police, then a slower chain through the Interior Ministry's OAMP that every other registration hangs off.
- Healthcare Good, cheap public healthcare if you are in the public insurance system through work or residence — and a separate commercial insurance market if you are not.
- Schools Free state schools taught entirely in Czech with a guaranteed catchment place, and a small, expensive international sector that fills a year ahead.
- Getting around One of the best-value public transport systems in Europe, integrated across metro, tram, bus and suburban rail, with a Kč 3,650 annual pass for the city.
On the ground
Alfred, Antoine, Capu, Eva, Nico — the people behind Insidoor.
Every Insider lives in their city and holds a verified ID. We match you on language and on who is coming with you.
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