A large suburban home or Prague apartment: Which gets you a better deal today?

For the price of a new apartment in Prague, you could be living in a full-fledged house—with a garden and potentially plenty of land—just outside the city. With prices on an ever-increasing trend in the capital, more homebuyers are starting to do the math—and relocating to Central Bohemia. We’ve compared price differences to show just how big the gap is between living in Prague and moving to nearby towns.

According to real estate platform Home Portal, there’s a growing price gap between spacious apartments in Prague and houses in surrounding towns. For example, a newly built apartment in Prague with over 80 square meters of space will set you back around CZK 12.5 million. A similar-sized (or even much larger) house outside the city? It could be CZK 1 million cheaper—or even more.

“There’s still demand for big-city apartments,” says Jan Vitvera, director of Home Portal. “But prices are rising fast, and the options are shrinking. [Relocating] is no longer just a matter of comfort, it’s often about financial limits. In recent years, we’ve seen a shift in priorities: space and quality of life are becoming more important than location.”

For families, this shift makes a lot of sense. Larger apartments in Prague are becoming increasingly rare. Most new 3+kk units are under 80 square meters, and anything over 90 square meters is tough to find. Looking for something spacious—say, over 120 square meters? You’re likely looking at a penthouse that’ll cost CZK 20 million or more.

Meanwhile, the average price per square meter in Prague hit CZK 139,900 at the end of 2024, according to the Deloitte Real Index. Just outside the city, in Central Bohemia, you’ll pay a much more reasonable CZK 89,800.

New houses in suburban developments typically range from CZK 11 million to CZK 16 million—and the amenities (schools, shops, transport) are increasingly on par with urban living.

“People aren’t just chasing space,” says Vitvera. “They’re chasing a better quality of life.”

So, just how much do prices differ in real life? Expats.cz decided to take a closer look by browsing Sreality.cz, Czechia’s largest real estate portal.

For instance, a 5+kk, 138 m² family house in Nymburk, Central Bohemia, has an asking price of CZK 10.8 million. Compare that to Prague, where a much smaller, 3+kk, 78 m² apartment in the Karlín district will cost you CZK 12.9 million.

 A 100 m², 2+kk family house with 541 m² of land in Hostivice on the outskirts of the capital, in Prague-West, costs CZK 7.8 million. Meanwhile, for the same price in Prague, you’d be looking at a modest 36 m², 1+kk apartment in Nusle, or a 43 m², 1+kk apartment in Dolní Měcholupy (far from the city center).

Although mortgage rates have been falling in the past two years, they’re still relatively high due to rising property prices, making it increasingly difficult for average earners to afford a home, especially in Prague.

Jan Hrubý, head of the Czech branch of RE/MAX, told Novinky.cz that even an average-earning couple wouldn’t be able to afford a three-room apartment in Prague. "Only well-paid managers, company owners, or foreigners with jobs here can afford real estate in the capital," Hrubý said.

With Prague housing prices expected to climb another 5 to 10 percent this year, more families are looking past the city limits—and liking what they see.

In mid-2024, CEO of real estate company Finep told Seznam Zprávy that the current shortage of apartments in the capital will drive up their prices even highere in the next decade. He added: "I think that new apartment construction will extend well beyond the borders of Prague."

Vitvera from Home Portal sums it up: “A house outside the city is no longer a compromise, but a conscious choice.”