Several Czech kindergartens will increase their fees starting this September, with the most significant price hike occurring in České Budějovice, where parents will face nearly a 43% increase. The monthly fee there will jump from 420 to 600 Czech crowns, according to local education department head Barbora Čížková.
The highest fees are typically found in Prague, where some kindergartens in Prague 22 have increased their rates by 300 crowns to 1,500 crowns monthly. Similar increases have been implemented in Prague 4, while Prague 6 has standardized fees at 1,400 crowns per month for the 2025/2026 school year.
Other regional cities are seeing more modest increases between 100-200 crowns. Jihlava’s city-run kindergartens will charge 800 crowns monthly, while Olomouc has unified its fees at 750 crowns across all municipal facilities. The city of Ostrava has seen varying increases, with the Ostrava-Jih district raising fees from 600 to 750 crowns.
Kindergarten administrators cite rising operational costs as the primary reason for the fee increases. Another factor is a recent legislative change allowing parents receiving child benefits to be exempt from these payments, which has reduced kindergarten income. “This loss of income must be compensated somehow, otherwise the quality of care would decrease,” explained Jana Vystrčilová, an economist at a Jihlava kindergarten.
Not all cities will see increases, however. Fees will remain unchanged in Hradec Králové, Pardubice, Plzeň, Karlovy Vary, Zlín, and parts of Brno, as many of these locations adjusted their rates last year. In some cases, the standardization of fees by municipal authorities has actually resulted in lower costs for some families.