Price Czech: These everyday esssentials will cost you more in 2025

Last year saw several items get pricier in Czechia—from food and alcohol through to housing and water bills—as millions of residents in the country felt ever-increasing cost-of-living pressures.

Headline inflation, according to the Czech National Bank, is expected to be 2.6 percent this year, similar to 2024. Unfortunately for people living in Czechia, this means that many day-to-day items and services are set to become more expensive. 

On the bright side, though, some charges—such as electricity bills—will become cheaper Here’s how much more (or maybe less) you may need to pay in Czechia this year.

It’ll come as no surprise that the cost of renting is set to increase in Czechia, with experts and economists anticipating that the price of renting one square meter in Prague will surpass CZK 500 in 2025. 

According to the Deloitte Real Index, rents in central Prague are around CZK 412 per square meter at present. 

Across Czechia, owner-occupied housing prices are expected to increase by 5 to 10 percent, continuing trends from the last two years. A family house in Prague now costs an average of CZK 108,000 per square meter.

From January, gas payments will rise, even for fixed-price contracts. An average family using 1,800 cubic meters of gas will pay CZK 1,500 more annually. 

Electricity's regulated price rises 1.4 percent overall, many people will see decreases due to lower distribution prices. Analysis from Czech media outlet Seznam Zprávy shows that electricity bills should fall 10 percent.

In 2025, the average price of water in the Czech Republic is expected to rise to CZK 134.09 per cubic meter, marking an increase of CZK 9.5 from the previous year. In Prague, residents will pay CZK 135 for water and sewage services.

With an average consumption of 90 liters per person per day, a family of four will pay an additional CZK 500 per year.

If you’re a driver in Czechia, you’ll need to pay extra for highway vignettes (stamps), which drivers need if they want to use select motorways and roads in Czechia. 

An annual vignette will rise by CZK 140, to CZK 2,440, and the cost of a monthly stamp jump by CZK 30, to CZK 460.

Czech Railways (ČD) fares will, on average, bump prices by 5 percent in 2025. An IN 50 Card for regular, long-distance travel rises to CZK 3,590. 

The ČD basic tariff has seen price increases: for 10 kilometers (km), from CZK 34 to CZK 35; for 45 km, from CZK 101 to CZK 106; and for 100 km, from CZK 205 to CZK 216.

Depending on where you live, you’ll pay more for trams and buses in 2025. In Karlovy Vary, commuters are seeing the steepest increases, with the price of a three-month ticket jumping from CZK 880 to CZK 1,200. 

Over in České Budějovice, the cost of a weekly pass has jumped from CZK 200 to CZK 300. Praguers are safe—for now.

A slight excise tax increase on fuel is expected in 2025, raising prices. Forecasts estimate gasoline will reach CZK 45 per liter (currently CZK 35.60), and diesel will rise to CZK 39 per liter (currently CZK 35). Global conflict and political instability in the Middle East (and beyond) may also raise prices, along with the incoming U.S. presidency of Donald Trump.

Following on from growing food prices in 2024, basic items are set to get costlier this year. 

According to the Czech National Bank's forecast, common foods like meat, dairy, butter, apples, and eggs, will rise by 3.8 percent on average in 2025. 

Today, a pack of medium-sized eggs costs an average of CZK 63, and a liter of long-life semi-skimmed milk costs CZK 21.5. The Czech Statistical Office reports that one egg cost CZK 6.4 in late 2024. 

Economist Lukáš Kovanda warns that chocolate prices will increase by 20 percent due to the record price of cocoa beans on a global level. 

On the brighter side, better harvests and more stable conditions in grain markets will likely lead to a decline in sugar and flour prices this year.

Two months ago, an analyst at financial firm XTB told Czech media that coffee prices would rise by another 10 to 30 percent in 2025. The current nationwide average cost of a cappuccino is CZK 73. 

In 2025, a 5 percent excise duty increase will raise cigarette prices by approximately CZK 5. Other tobacco products will also see price hikes: heated tobacco by CZK 4, disposable e-cigarettes by CZK 6, nicotine sachets by CZK 7 per pack, and e-liquids by CZK 30.

From the new year, excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco will rise again, with a 10 percent increase for alcohol. For instance, the excise tax on a half-liter bottle of 40 percent spirits will rise by about CZK 7. In Prague, the average price of a half-liter of draft beer has reached CZK 71, up from CZK 65.6 last year.

From February, Czech Post will raise letter prices by CZK 2–4, with basic shipments (up to 50g) rising from CZK 27 to CZK 31. 

Registered mail will increase by CZK 5 to CZK 77. Prices will rise by CZK 5 to CZK 10, depending on the type, for sending amounts up to CZK 5,000.

DHL Express has announced an average rate increase of 6 percent for its services in the Czech Republic, effective Jan. 1, 2025. 

Compulsory vehicle liability insurance in the Czech Republic is expected to rise by around 10 percent in 2025, driven by inflation in labor costs, spare parts, and increased claims. This will result in a modest price hike for drivers, with an example being a 12-year-old Škoda Octavia's insurance increasing from CZK 4,862 to CZK 5,350 annually.