With the academic year approaching, university students across the Czech Republic are bracing for higher housing expenses. Rental prices for apartments and individual rooms in major university cities have increased by approximately 10% year-over-year, with shared rooms in Prague now commonly costing 10,000 crowns monthly. While dormitories offer a more affordable alternative, their capacities are rapidly filling up.
Housing costs represent one of the largest regular expenses for many of the roughly 300,000 Czech university students. Students in Prague and Brno face the steepest prices, with room costs rising 9% year-over-year. The median rental price in Prague has surpassed 11,600 crowns monthly, while Brno stands at 8,750 crowns.
Those preferring independent living will pay even more. Median rent for studio or one-bedroom apartments has increased by 11% in both major cities, reaching 20,000 crowns in Prague and 15,500 crowns in Brno. Even the most affordable studio apartments cost over 11,000 crowns monthly, plus utility expenses running into thousands of crowns.
The situation is slightly better in other university towns, where renting a room typically costs between 6,000 and 7,500 crowns. Students in Ostrava, Opava, and Ústí nad Labem enjoy the lowest costs, with rooms available for 5,500 crowns and small apartments for approximately 9,000 crowns.
University dormitories remain the most economical housing option despite price increases in recent years. For the upcoming academic year, many schools have implemented minimal price increases or none at all. At Charles University, the average monthly accommodation cost is around 6,000 crowns, while Prague’s University of Economics offers dormitory beds from about 4,500 crowns monthly, and Brno’s Masaryk University is even 1,000 crowns cheaper.
However, dormitory availability is extremely limited. “The dormitory capacity is currently 97 percent filled,” reported Jan Bumba, spokesperson for Charles University. Interested students can join waiting lists or monitor for cancellations.