Being a native New Yorker, I concur that 5th ave. is not for the budget conscience. Living in Prague, I am sure that there is no other place to find an Armani suit nevertheless cheaper. The high prices are a result of citizens not complaining. I tried to return new Nikes in 1994, no luck, complained to Nike in the states, the store here is no longer..it is only an example (they didnt close because of me) of the power of a voice. Delvita MUST change their bags, they are too weak and the damn thing breaks. Last year you had pull teeth just to get them to give you one, now they hand them out without complaining, and soon they will improve the quality or fall prey to the great bags of carrefour! It misleading to give the impression that Prague is cheap, it is not. Most items are more expensive. 12 bucks for peanutbutter, bite me! Tourists go home and say its cheap because what do you do when you vacation? The hotel is the same price, but lower quality ( there are NO 5 star hotels in Prague, to qualify it must have indoor swimming according to the hotel association, Marriot soon Ive heard) and you eat out , drink beer and buy a few souvenirs. You do not abide by common folks reality, you do not shop fo a large flat screen, etc. so you go home with a misconception. I shop at Makro as often as possible, but still never buy my electronics here. Even after convertors, shipping and adaptors, they are cheaper in the states. Moreover, the question was posed by an individual looking to relocate here, therefore an empirical answer was warrented. The law of economics dictate that it is due to supply and demand. Due to disproportionally low wages, the demand is not there, so the cost of most items is more...
Sorry to burst your bubble KJP, but this is also deceptive, and much more complicated than you think. Japan is the second largest economy (half the size of the US) with good wages, high purchasing power;but still, the prices of everything are rocket-high. Norway is an example of the same kind. I`m afraid that the laws of economics are so complex that it`s not enough to say ....the higher wages, the cheaper products. Where are the social-dependent issues? Maybe it`d also be worth comparing monthly rents (per capita) in Prague and NYC. I`m confident that 250-300 USD in Prague is totally unmatchable in NY. This is perhaps what you pay for your parking lot in Manhattan. I have no qualms about NY being THE shopping place, which is one of the greatest places even in the US, if not the greatest for such purposes. Admit it! Anyone from NY can say that Prague is a hole in that regard, but is it fair to say such a thing? Karel
World's most and least expensive cities, 2004 1 Tokyo, Japan 2 London, UK 3 Moscow, Russia 4 Osaka, Japan 5 Hong Kong 6 Geneva, Switzerland 7 Seoul, South Korea 8 Copenhagen, Denmark 9 Zürich, Switzerland 10 St. Petersburg, Russia 11 Beijing, China 12 New York City, USA 13 Milan, Italy 14 Dublin, Ireland 15 Oslo, Norway 16 Shanghai, China 17 Paris, France 18 Istanbul, Turkey 19 Vienna, Austria 20 Sydney, Australia 21 Rome, Italy 22 Stockholm, Sweden 23 Helsinki, Finland 24 Abidjan, Ivory Coast 25 Douala, Cameroon 26 Amsterdam, Netherlands 27 Los Angeles, USA 28 Berlin, Germany 29 Hanoi, Vietnam 30 Shenzhen, China 31 Taipei, Taiwan 32 Guangzhou, China 33 Tel Aviv, Israel 34 Budapest, Hungary 35 Chicago, USA 36 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 37 Beirut, Lebanon 38 San Francisco, USA 39 Luxembourg 40 Düsseldorf, Germany 41 Glasgow, UK 42 Frankfurt, Germany 43 Munich, Germany 44 Bratislava, Slovak Republic 45 Jakarta, Indonesia 46 Singapore 47 Dakar, Senegal 48 Riga, Latvia 49 Prague, Czech Republic 50 Athens, Greece Source: Mercer Human Resource Consulting, 2004 Cost-of-Living Survey, via CNN/money Mercer noted that U.S. cities dropped in their worldwide rankings relative to last year because of the depreciation of the dollar against European, Canadian and Asian-Pacific currencies. Appreciation in local currencies also accounted for a big change in other cities' worldwide rankings. The strength of the Canadian dollar pushed Toronto up to 89th from 104th last year, and Vancouver up to 96th from 110th. Changes were even more dramatic for cities in Australia and New Zealand. Sydney, for instance, rose to 20th from 67th. Auckland, meanwhile, climbed to 80th from 115th. London rose to 2nd from 7th.
Well said Karel, but Tokyo has a per capita income of: US$ 37,661 ! The Czech Republic median income is just around 14,000 kc per month(about 6,000 US per year) therefore it is drastically much more expensive. well, 6 times more expensive ! Prague is number 49 on the list?!!! Proves the point, look at the income of the other cities ! Deceptive is when those looking for sound advice read a "Lets Go" europe book, check prices and not income. I paid 475 US per month to park my car in NY. Gasoline is 4 x's higher here than in the US, even at its 21 year high! A 27" Sony TV with NO options is 29,000 kc (1300 US) IF you can get into Makro! About 400 in CostCo in the US- Forget the computer issue, its a no brainer, much more here 10 oz. of peanut buter for 12 dollars??!!!! Fish? Its a landlocked country, double the price! Rent, bread, beer and public transport are cheaper here, but the rent is increasing monthly. EVERYTHING else is more expensive, as your list shows... You failed to address where to buy high end clothing if other than on Vaclavak, which is why this started... Too many kids come here thinging it is cheaper, it is not. Vacation here, but dont bother trying to work here, Germany has a stable income to cost of living standard, and often times you neednt speak German, most know English. Here you have a less than 1% chance of finding legal employment if you dont speak Czech, thus the name of the thread, for those living here, and those thinking of moving here... Give them a good well rounded idea, not one based on heresay... Quote some pricing from here and in the US and compare... BTW- Prague is not a hole, nor is it a small and insignificant country, just because as of last week there was no government, and now Mr. "I dont shave yet" is the premier (happen to like the guy-Gross, but dislke Klaus and his anti EU, foreigner stance). A truely democratic society knows that one voice can make a change. Czechs dont seem to be speaking up and complaining... Ye, my rent here is about 750 US now, I too have been Bush-whacked! Point is, too many have the misconception that Prgaue is a cheap place to live, its not, it can be a cheap vacation, but living here is a diffrerent ball game, for you must work in their economy...
im an american coming to live in malenovice in three weeks. im only 15, so i have a debit/atm card thing and my mom puts her money into it monthly. i dont have to pay for housing or food or anything, just clothes and stuff i want to buy. in this case, how expensive is it to live in the czech republic..especially in the frydek mistek area, does anyone know?thanks
good luck with the move, I have never been there, but surely it is cheaper than in Prague. What brings you there I wonder? BTW_ Karel, lets not forget the CZECH LAW that states that you can be charged more for certain items because you are a foreigner. Czechs in NY pay the same for everything as the Americans do...now that law has got to go. Often times when we go into a resturant we get a seperate menu, even when we speak Czech...not fair I say! Good luck with your move
Know that KJP. Very very nasty a thing indeed. The double menus, I mean. What sometimes happened to me in the US was that I was charged 15% tip without my asking for doing so. They did it just because I`m not American. Europeans don`t tip, they say, hence the bill disregarding my will to evaluate their service and tip accordingly. It`s not fair either, yet not as shameful as the double menus in the CR. Regards Karel
Thats not legal Karel, you should complain, and outright in public, right in front of them, if not, take it to your congressman, those bastards seem to forget we are the melting pot! Ye, the higher charges for non czechs is out right wrong, I agree...
Second hand clothing stores are in vogue in last few years. Clothes comes from Britain or Germany and is quite often better quality than buying new. There are also Vietnamese markets which are good for buying underwear and socks at good quality and prices. I would suggest you bring good sturdy shoes as they would be quite expensive here.
