Lunch in Czech restaurants is now more expensive than ever.

New data from June 2025 shows the average midday meal costs around 197 CZK, with prices in six regions already surpassing the 200 CZK mark.

The rise is driven by higher costs for ingredients, energy, and wages. Since 2014, when a lunch in Prague averaged 98 CZK, prices have climbed by 130%.

In the same period, average wages have grown by just 82%, meaning the cost of eating out has outpaced income growth.

Restaurant owners say their biggest challenge is staff shortages. Salaries in the sector rose by up to 8% last year, but operating costs—from rent to utilities—are increasing even faster.

“The reality is that price hikes cannot be postponed forever,” says Václav Stárek, President of the Czech Association of Hotels and Restaurants.

The South Bohemian Region currently tops the list with average lunch prices around 212 CZK.

In Prague, diners pay roughly 203 CZK. In some areas, prices have already hit a ceiling, slowing further increases.

In the past five years, the entire industry has seen costs jump by over 50%. One of the sharpest blows came in January 2024, when the VAT rate on draft beer doubled from 10% to 21%, adding about 6 CZK to a pint.

Looking ahead, experts believe the sector will undergo a shift in business models. More restaurants are closing their kitchens between lunch and dinner to cut expenses.

Dining out, they say, will increasingly become a planned occasion rather than an everyday habit, with Czech gastronomy adapting to the new economic reality.

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