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Oct 07, 2026
Nearly Half of Czechs Spend More Than 30% of Their Income on Housing
Prague Morning
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Nearly half of people in the Czech Republic spend more than 30% of their net income on housing, while around one in 10 spends more than half.
Housing is generally considered financially burdensome when rent, utilities and other related costs exceed 30–40% of household income. The EU average is around 24%.
The findings come from a survey by Česká spořitelna and Evropa v datech, conducted with Ipsos among 1,000 respondents in February.
Housing affordability remains particularly difficult for young Czechs. Among people aged 18 to 29, 58% live with their parents at least part of the time, while 29% live with friends or a partner.
The survey found that 60% of people under 30 who are dissatisfied with their housing situation have postponed a major life decision because of it. For around one-third, this has happened repeatedly. Starting a family is among the decisions affected by housing conditions.
Homeowners were considerably more likely to be very satisfied than renters, with 41% of owners describing themselves as very satisfied compared with 18% of renters.
Czechia still has the least affordable housing in the EU
The Czech Republic improved by six places in this year’s housing conditions ranking, reaching 17th among the 27 EU member states. The improvement was linked to increased investment in residential construction, fewer households facing excessive housing costs or difficulties paying for heating, and relatively favorable rental conditions.
Buying a home, however, remains more difficult than elsewhere in the EU.
An average-sized Czech apartment costs 13.3 average annual gross salaries, compared with 13.6 a year earlier. The figure has improved only slightly, while other countries have made faster progress. In Hungary, the ratio fell from 13.6 to 11.9 annual salaries, while Slovakia improved from 13.2 to 11.7 and Slovenia from 13.4 to 11.4.
Ireland has the most affordable housing by this measure, with an average home costing 6.2 annual salaries, followed by Belgium and Finland.
An average apartment in Czechia costs roughly the equivalent of 29 years of average rent. In city centers, the figure is close to 31 years, compared with less than 13 years in Ireland.
High housing costs are changing household decisions
Housing expenses are also forcing some households to reduce other spending. Last year, 40% cut their budgets because of housing costs. Nearly one-quarter reduced spending on holidays, hobbies and entertainment, while 16% cut spending on essentials such as food, clothing and personal-care products.
Around 38% of Czechs see living with parents as an economic necessity caused by high property prices. Another 26% consider it a reasonable temporary solution, while 9.4% see multigenerational living as a viable long-term model.
At the same time, 46% of young people expect to inherit property from their families.
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