Prague's Christmas markets ranked among the most affordable in Europe

A new ranking by British online news site Daily Mail has found that a trip to Prague’s Christmas markets is the fourth-cheapest festive break out of 12 surveyed locations in Europe for Brits. The ranking takes into account the costs of flights, accommodation, and food and drink.

Relatively affordable living and travel costs contributed significantly to Prague's position, according to one of the ranking’s creators, Laura Plunkett. Lower flight prices (falling by up to one-fifth from 2022) from the UK improved the city's ranking compared with last year. Accommodation hosts – such as hotels, Airbnbs, and hostels – also became slightly cheaper.

According to the survey findings, the cheapest city to visit a Christmas market was Riga in Latvia, mainly on account of cheap airfares and affordable food prices at the market. Stockholm and Zagreb followed in second and third place respectively. On the other hand, the ranking found Vienna to carry the highest price tag of the selected locations.

Although Prague’s Christmas markets may be relatively cheap for Brits and people from other west European countries, the same is not necessarily true for people earning a Czech salary. Last year at the Old Town Square market, one piece of lángos (fried flatbread) cost CZK 150, with one grilled sausage setting people back CZK 120. A small hot drink of about 200 milliliters also cost around CZK 90. The Old Town’s prices are likely to be even higher this year.

Monday saw Prague’s first Christmas market open, in Náměstí Míru. Journalists found that the price of one trdelník at the market’s stalls increased by CZK 10, to CZK 80. The popular hot wine svařák has also gone up in price at Náměstí Míru, now costing CZK 75 (from CZK 65 last year).

A grilled sausage is cheaper compared with the Old Town though, going for CZK 105. The cost of pancakes ranges between CZK 90 and CZK 120, with the prices of Christmas decorations and souvenirs going up by around 10 percent.  

Prague continues to be an affordable city break for visiting Christmas markets – as outlined by the ranking, especially so for Brits – although still-high costs mean that people living in Czechia may find it that little bit harder to get into the Christmas cheer.