At the end of last year, the average monthly salary in the Czech Republic hovered just under 50,000 CZK—but for workers outside of major cities, that number can feel out of reach.

New data from the Czech Statistical Office shows a sharp divide between regions.

In Prague, the average gross monthly salary reached 59,870 CZK in the fourth quarter of 2023. In contrast, Karlovy Vary—the region with the lowest earnings—recorded just 42,284 CZK. That’s a difference of more than 17,000 CZK per month.

The figures also show Central Bohemia following the capital with 49,442 CZK, while the South Moravian Region, which includes Brno, landed in third place with 48,807 CZK.

“These gaps reflect long-term structural differences,” said Vít Hradil, an economist at Cyrrus. “Higher-paying jobs are concentrated in cities like Prague and Brno, where major companies are based and where more skilled labor is available.”

In some regions, wages are growing—but from a lower starting point. Workers in the Pardubice Region saw the biggest year-on-year jump in Q4, with average salaries up 9% to 45,385 CZK. Prague followed with nearly 8% growth, mostly driven by increases in high-income positions.

“There’s a clear pattern,” said Martin Krohn, analyst at Raiffeisenbank. “Professionals with university degrees tend to migrate toward urban centers where opportunities—and salaries—are higher.”

Industrial history also plays a role. Regions like Karlovy Vary and Moravian-Silesia, once hubs for mining or textile production, still struggle to recover from economic shifts over the past decades.

In contrast, Karlovy Vary saw the smallest increase in salaries—just 5% year-on-year. The Ústí nad Labem Region wasn’t far behind, with a 5.4% rise to 45,526 CZK.

When salaries across the entire year are averaged, the hierarchy remains similar. Prague topped the 2023 ranking with 57,232 CZK, followed by Central Bohemia (46,951 CZK) and South Moravia (45,300 CZK). At the other end of the spectrum, Karlovy Vary trailed at 39,415 CZK—the only region where the average stayed below 40,000 CZK.

Pardubice, despite its lower overall average (41,337 CZK), was the fastest-growing region last year, followed again by Prague.

Regions like Vysočina and Zlín hovered just above 41,000 CZK, showing minor movement in either direction.

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