The Cost of an Espresso in Prague Soars Toward Record Highs

Prague’s gastro establishments beat not only all other big cities in our country but also Warsaw and Bratislava in the prices of the best-selling coffee.

“Across the Czech, Slovak and Polish markets, we researched the demand for the most popular types of coffee and compared prices. We also looked at how much prices change over time in the Czech Republic and abroad,” comments Petr Menclík, director of Dotykačka, the company that conducted the research.

“Compared to Warsaw and Bratislava, Prague has become the least expensive year-on-year, yet coffee prices here remain the highest. Before the covid, the difference in prices in neighboring markets was even more marked,” explains the director

“It doesn’t matter whether the business is in the middle of a big city or in a village. All establishments drink a comparable amount of this coffee. Similarly, prices are similar almost everywhere. In the third quarter, they were most often in the range of CZK 39 to 41 in Czech gastro establishments,” summarizes Menclík.

However, this does not mean that coffee is not more expensive anywhere. “This range is an average. In about a tenth of Czech establishments, espresso prices exceed CZK 58. Last year, the highest prices for this coffee were around CZK 53,” Menclík says, adding a comparison with neighbouring countries:

In the Slovak capital, an espresso usually costs 38 crowns, in Warsaw it’s only 35 crowns. This is a fifth less than in Prague. And even premium establishments there are cheaper. In Poland, the highest espresso prices are around 55 crowns, in Slovakia around 49. Compared to Prague, it’s a noticeable difference.”

The second most popular type of coffee is cappuccino. Its popularity has been growing steeply, especially in recent years. In the capital, it is currently drunk in the same quantity as espresso, although the price is roughly a third higher than espresso, at nearly CZK 55.

The good news is at least that the price of coffee in the Czech Republic has been rising the slowest in the past three years compared to Slovakia and Poland. Since September 2019, espresso in Prague has gone up by a fifth, while in Bratislava it has gone up by 25 percent and in Warsaw by a third.