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Mohamed Oun
Prague
#63 of 124
Europe

Prague

Czech Republic

Salary & Cost of Living

View purchasing power ranking

How do salaries and expenses in Prague compare to Bali?

Purchasing Power Comparison

An engineer in Prague is 262% better off vs in Bali

This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Prague compared to Bali, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.

Median Salary
$69,958
+$57K (+431%) vs Bali
Based on 447 data points from levels.fyi
Net Salary
$51,769
+$41K (+384%) vs Bali
Tax Rate: 26%

Community Insights

New

Prague offers a high-quality, safe lifestyle that appeals to those valuing stability over maximum income.

For software engineers, it is a 'golden cage': the local purchasing power is good, and the city is beautiful and fun, but the savings potential is lower than in Western Europe or the US. The housing market is the biggest pain point, with rents eating up a large chunk of the median SWE salary. However, if you can secure a senior role or remote western salary, the quality of life is unbeatable due to safety, transport, and culture.

Resident Sentiment

Mixed but leaning positive on lifestyle.

Most transplants love the social life and safety, often saying they don't want to leave because 'life is easy' here. However, there is growing resentment regarding inflation and rent prices, with many noting that Prague is no longer the 'cheap' destination it was 5 years ago. Long-term residents often debate moving to Germany for better pay but stay for the Prague vibe.

The Good

Living Environment

Weather•Safety•Pollution•Events

A quick look at climate, safety, pollution, and tech community compared to Bali.

Rankings

Safety Index

Top 8%

#10

of 124 cities

75.4/100

Current value

Pollution Score

Top 22%

#27

of 124 cities

33.5/100

Current value (lower is better)

Tax Rate

Top 23%

#28

of 124 cities

26%

Current value (lower is better)

Housing Affordability

View affordability ranking

How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Prague compared to Bali?

Avg. Property Price
$8,663 / m²
265% more expensive than Bali
View detailed property prices on Numbeo

Salary Converter

Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Prague to maintain the same standard of living.

$

Do you have kids?

Cost of Living
34% more expensive than Bali
View detailed cost breakdown on Numbeo

Top Paying Companies in Prague

Pure Storage logo
Pure Storage
Microsoft logo
Microsoft
Veeam Software logo
Veeam Software
  • World-class public transport: Residents consistently praise the reliability, affordability, and cleanliness of the trams and metro, making a car unnecessary.
  • Exceptional safety: Ranked as one of the safest cities globally (#10), expats report feeling comfortable walking alone at night anywhere in the city.
  • Work-life balance: The work culture is generally relaxed with reasonable hours, distinct from the 'grind' mentality found in London or the US.
  • Central European travel hub: Located in the heart of Europe, making weekend trips to Berlin, Vienna, or Budapest easy and cheap.
  • Social & Beer Culture: Famous for the best/cheapest beer in the world and a vibrant pub culture that makes socializing easy once you find your circle.
  • Healthcare accessibility: Mandatory universal healthcare is affordable (tied to employment) and high quality, though the 'bedside manner' can be blunt.

    • The Bad

    • Housing crisis: Rents have skyrocketed while salaries haven't kept pace; buying a flat is nearly impossible (taking ~13.5 years of salary, ranked #96 for affordability).
    • Bureaucracy nightmare: Dealing with immigration offices (OAMP) is notoriously difficult, slow, and hostile, especially for non-EU nationals without company support.
    • Language barrier: Czech is extremely difficult to learn; while tech offices speak English, daily life (doctors, authorities, older locals) can be frustrating without it.
    • Salary ceiling: While decent locally, senior dev salaries lag significantly behind Germany, Switzerland, or the US, limiting savings potential in absolute terms.
    • Winter gloom: The winters are described as long, grey, and dark (only ~1668 sunshine hours/year), which causes seasonal depression for many expats.
    • Customer service: The 'customer is always right' mentality does not exist; service in shops and offices can feel rude or indifferent to foreigners.

    The Verdict

    You'll love it if...

    Mid-level devs wanting a safe EU entry point: Ideal for those from outside the EU looking for a stable, safe jurisdiction to start their European career.

    Lifestyle-first individuals: If you prefer 5 weeks of vacation, cheap beer, and hiking over hustling for a top 1% salary, you will thrive here.

    Families: The high safety ranking and free education make it attractive, provided you can navigate the housing market.

    Skip it if...

    FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) chasers: You will not save enough compared to working in Zurich or the US due to the lower absolute salary cap.

    Sun seekers: If you need bright winters to function, the months of grey skies will be a struggle.

    Bureaucracy intolerants: If you get stressed by hostile administrative processes and paperwork, the immigration system here will break you.

    Updated 11/29/2025

    Weather3.8/10+27% vs Bali
    Safety75+52%
    Pollution34-58%
    Events5+5
    3.8/10TechCities weather score vs 3.0/10 in Bali

    0–10 composite (higher is better) combining temperature comfort, sunshine hours, rainy-day count, and humid days. See methodology for weighting and data sources.

    Weather snapshot

    Average High
    13°C(vs 24°C in Bali)
    Average Low
    5°C(vs 16°C in Bali)
    Sunshine Hours
    1,668h/yr-432h/yr(-21%)
    Hottest Month High
    24°C(vs 27°C in Bali)
    Coldest Month Low
    -3°C(vs 14°C in Bali)
    Rainy Days
    78/yr-122/yr(-61%)

    Community & Quality

    Prague community pulse

    Prague has 5 Luma events listed.

    Bali has no listed Luma events for comparison.

    Cost of Living

    Middle of the pack

    #51

    of 124 cities

    47/100

    Current value (lower is better)

    Community Events

    Middle of the pack

    #56

    of 124 cities

    5 events on luma

    Current value

    Purchasing Power

    Middle of the pack

    #63

    of 124 cities

    Net Income

    Middle of the pack

    #64

    of 124 cities

    $51,769/yr

    Current value

    Comfortable Weather

    Middle of the pack

    #79

    of 124 cities

    38/100 weather score

    Current value

    Home Affordability

    Bottom 24%

    #95

    of 124 cities

    ≈13.4 yrs to buy 80m²

    Current value

    SWE Affordability
    13.4 years
    4.4 years quicker than Bali
    Muggy Days
    2/yr-99/yr(-98%)
    Cloud Cover
    54%(vs 81% in Bali)