Housing
Prague is divided into three distinct districts or towns:
Stare Mesto (Old Town)
Stare Mesto or Old Town represents the heart of the city. It’s a place where 11th century Bohemian, Baroque, Gothic and even Art Nouveau architecture thrives. You’ll find the famous Astrological clock tower here as it presides over a cobblestoned Old Town Square that’s filled with bistros, quaint shops, cinemas and cafes. Old Town Square is also the gateway to the romantic Charles Bridge that spans the Vltava into the Mala Strana district. While buying a home here can run in the hundreds of thousands in U.S. dollars, you can rent a one bedroom apartment for anywhere between $600 and $900 US. A bargain when compared to the thousands you might spend in rent in comparable European cities like Paris or Rome.
Mala Strana (Lesser Town)
Mala Strana or Lesser Town is based at the foothills of Prague Castle and is generally considered to be a calmer place than the bustling Stare Mesto. The cost of purchasing a home is a little less than the Old Town and so is the cost of renting an apartment. A one or two bedroom apartment might go for $700 to $1,000 US per month.
Nove Mesto (New Town)
Nove Mesto or New Town, is not necessarily new considering its establishment in 1348. But it is where you’ll find the world-famous Wenceslas Square. What makes the place “new” are the many commercial shops, banks, restaurants and hotels that line its boulevard. Real Estate here is pricey as the townhouses and apartment buildings generally appeal to a clientele that can afford luxury prices. Figure somewhere between half a million and a million US dollars for the purchase of a townhouse and $1,200 to $2,000 US to rent a one or two bedroom “luxury” apartment.
Health Care
Like many post communist countries that have had to deal with privatizing what was once a universal all-expenses-paid social health care system, Prague has had its share of troubles. However, with the introduction of a new Health Care Minister in 2005, the cost of private health care has become more stabilized and affordable.
While the cost of medications are generally less than those in the US, the quality of health care although affordable, is not yet up to the standards of its Western European neighbors. Quality however is increasing everyday in direct proportion to Prague’s popularity as a tourist and ex-patriot living destination.
The typical cost for individual private health insurance is around 1000 CZK per year or about $61 US. Another bargain. But like all things in Prague, it too is on the rise.