Housing Affordability Remains Uneven Across Czech Regions

The gap between wages and housing prices in the Czech Republic continues to widen, with Prague remaining the least affordable market while regions such as Ústí nad Labem and Moravian-Silesian still offer comparatively accessible housing.

According to RE/MAX’s mid-2025 affordability analysis, Ústí and Moravian-Silesian regions top the list for accessible housing, where average wages still allow buyers to purchase more than one square metre of an older apartment with a single month’s salary. Towns such as Litvínov, Most, and Karviná are among the cheapest markets. By contrast, in Prague, where demand is highest, an average wage does not even cover half a square metre of older apartment space.

Official data from the Czech Statistical Office confirms the income disparity. In the second quarter of 2025, the average gross monthly wage in the Ústí nad Labem Region was 45,024 CZK, while Prague posted 62,307 CZK, the highest in the country. Yet housing prices in the capital continue to climb faster than wages. Market trackers report that average listing prices for older apartments in Prague now exceed 120,000 CZK per square metre, with some sources noting levels close to 140,000 CZK, depending on district.

Nationally, older apartment prices rose by nearly 20% year-on-year in early 2025, according to listings data from Sreality.cz cited by Hypoindex. Broader transaction price indices compiled by the statistical office show real estate prices overall up about 10% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, underscoring a housing market still outpacing wage growth.

Industry observers point out that while regions such as Ústí nad Labem and Moravian-Silesian remain relatively affordable, they face challenges with employment and infrastructure that limit demand compared with Prague and Brno. Meanwhile, the Central Bohemian Region is emerging as an alternative growth area, with new projects in cities like Kladno, Brandýs nad Labem, and Beroun attracting buyers priced out of the capital.

Despite regional differences, analysts agree that affordability has deteriorated nationwide. Rising mortgage activity, even at average interest rates of around 4.5%, indicates that demand is strong, but the imbalance between property prices and real wages continues to weigh heavily on first-time buyers.

Sources: Czech Statistical Office, E15, Hypoindex, RE/MAX analysis.