Prague, Czech Republic Report of what it's like to live there - 01/23/26
Personal Experiences from Prague, Czech Republic
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
No, have also lived in the Philippines, Tanzania, Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
USA, not super difficult, summer offers direct flights to NYC.
3. What years did you live here?
2022-2026.
4. How long have you lived here?
3.5 years.
5. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Diplomatic mission.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
Apartments and houses. Families with school age children who go to ISP tend to live near school (residential area with family homes), lots of people live downtown in the apartments. Commute to work may vary depending on your location and time of day, some apartments are walking distance from the Embassy. However, those who live near ISP say the commute may take up to 40 minutes, especially during rush hour.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Definitely cheaper than in the U.S., but average for European prices.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
I periodically ship my favorite granola bars and things like that which are hard to find here.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Plenty of restaurants options, BOLT delivers food from a variety of restaurants.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
No.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
Plenty of delivery options available, ALZA boxes and Vasilkovna are super easy to use for local/within EUR shipping, dip mail takes a couple of weeks, sometimes longer. Thanks to Amazon in Germany and other local online stores, most of the items can be bought and delivered locally.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
EUR prices. as of January 2026, we are paying our helper almost $70 USD for four hours (half day).
I have heard that some pay more and that hiring local nannies is expensive; plenty of Embassy kids are willing to occasionally babysit.
3. Do you feel that it is safe to walk, run or hike outside? Are there areas where bike riding is possible? What is the availability and safety of outdoor space for exercising? Are these easily accessible?
Safe, but lots of pickpockets, just like any major city in Europe.
4. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
Embassy has a small gym, Czechia is known for tennis, so tennis courts are in abundance and easily accessible. Cannot speak of the pricing.
5. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
Yes, but may depend on your bank. Generally speaking, bank cards are safe to use.
6. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
Local language classes are affordable and also in abundance, in Prague you can get by with mostly English.
Outside of Prague: depends on location, so some basic Czech may be helpful. Sometimes in the regions bordering Germany and Austria, service industry employees will speak more German than English.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Yes and yes!
2. What kind of vehicle(s) including electric ones do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, infrastructure, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car or vehicles do you advise not to bring?
Regulations keep changing, check with your sponsor.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Yes.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
Local provider.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
No quarantine, kennels and pet services are available, very dog-friendly city.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
EFM jobs are available, but depends on budget.
Language teaching opportunities are plentiful, a number of people at post work remotely.
2. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Casual and creative:)
Health & Safety:
1. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
MyClinic is usually used by Embassy communities, services depend a lot on the doctor.
2. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Typical four seasons, summers can get pretty hot, especially in the city, winters may get rather cold.
Super slippery everywhere when it's raining and/or when it's snowing, bring good walking shoes!
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
Yes, several schools.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
How much of "Soviet" style bureaucracy still exists and in my opinion, how racist locals can be.
2. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
high work ethic expectation.
3. But don't forget your:
sense of humor.
