How much does it cost for a month to live in Brno? Let’s dive deep into practical information about living in the Moravian metropole.
Brno is the second-largest city in the Czech Republic, and it presents a perfect combination of history and a modern city. It’s popular among international companies, so you will find people all over the world working in Brno. It’s also a popular destination for Erasmus students. You can find there remarkable places, as well as places where to enjoy delicious food, beer, and wine.
The cost of living in Brno is friendly, especially for everyone from the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Western Europe.
Cost of Rent in Brno
The average monthly rent in Brno is 315 CZK (14 USD) for a square meter. It’s not a problem to find a shared flat to cut down the expenses. If you want to find a small flat for yourself (1 room + kitchen) you will need to pay about 10 000 – 12 000 CZK (460 – 560 USD) per month. Room in shared flats is cheaper. There are also a lot of AirBnBs to choose from.
I am sure you will find a lot of cheap flats and accommodation at Cejl, the quarter which is very close to the city center. It’s a quarter among the streets of Cejl – Ponávka – Francouzská. But before you decide to stay there, I want you to know that this is a gypsy quarter, and all shops have bars/grids because the criminality is higher there. It’s not a nice quarter anyway!
In general, Brno is a very safe city (and the Czech Republic is among the safest countries in the world). For example, you don’t need to worry to wander around Brno in the night whether you are a girl or boy. Just avoid Celj and everything will be fine!
Utilities
I case you would have utilities excluded from your rent, these costs might be helpful:
- 1 cubic meter of water – 80 CZK (3,7 USD)
- 1 kWh of energy – 4,5 CZK (0,2 USD)
- Internet per month – 500 CZK (23 USD)
Cost of Transportation in Brno
Brno has great and cheap public transportation. You can get practically everywhere by bus, tram or trolleybus. 1-hour ticket costs 25 CZK (1 USD). The monthly pass costs 550 CZK (25 USD). If you stay longer, it’s cheaper to buy the pass for a longer period.
Another great thing about Brno is that if you are staying nearby the city center, you can easily get by walk anywhere around the city center in 15-20 minutes.
You can also use shared bikes “Rekola”. You will need a smartphone with data to download and use the app. You can pay either a monthly fee of 195 CZK (9 USD) or pay for each ride 24 CZK (1 USD) per 30 minutes.
Taxis are more expensive, they cost about 60 CZK (3 USD) + 30 CZK (1,5 USD) per 1 km.
If you want to travel to other Czech cities or towns like Cesky Krumlov, use RegioJet (trains and buses) or FlixBus companies, since those are usually the cheapest options out there.
Entertainment in Brno – How much does it cost?
There is a lot of possibilities to have fun in Brno. First, I would recommend exploring the historical sites of Brno – you can check this insider’s guide about things to do in Brno, to pick the things you like and enjoy it „your way“.
Entrance to churches is free, museums, castles, and galleries have entrance fees of about 150 -200 CZK (7 – 9 USD). Brno has great nightlife, there are several cool music clubs and plenty of bars. Entrances to music clubs are usually free unless there are special events (in that case it might cost 50 – 100 CZK / 2 – 5 USD).
Brno is also a good place for all kinds of sports and outdoor activities. There is a nice cycling/skating path leading from the Brno dam all the way to Olympia shopping center at the very south edge of Brno.
List of prices for different sports and activities:
- Fitness center – 80 – 100 CZK (4 – 5 USD)
- Tennis Court (1 hour) – 250 CZK (12 USD)
- Entrance to a climbing wall – 160 CZK (7,5 USD)
- Jump Park (1 hour) – 220 CZK (10 USD)
- Laser Game (1 game – 15 minutes) – 100 CZK (USD)
- Bowling (1 hour – 300 CZK (14 USD)
A ticket to a cinema costs about 200 CZK (9 USD). The price of the theater tickets varies usually from 400 CZK to 1000 CZK (18 – 45 USD).
In case you are in Brno in May/July, don’t miss the international festival of fireworks – Ignis Brunensis. Fireworks at the water reservoir are grandiose. You can expect an awesome reflection and the firework accompanied by music which is 15-20 minutes long.
Cost of Food and Eating Out in Brno
The Czech Republic is famous for its great and cheap beer. You can get a draft beer in a pub or restaurant for about 35 CZK (1,5 USD). If you want to buy a bottled beer in a supermarket, you will pay around 12 CZK (0,6 USD) but you can find a beer as cheap as 7 CZK (0,4 USD). The funny thing is that they had to make a law, that at least one non-alcoholic drink has to be cheaper than beer (in restaurants).
If you want to eat out in a mid-class restaurant, you will pay around 150 CZK (7 USD) per meal. Cappuccino costs about 50 CZK (USD), a glass of water (0,3 l) is about 30 CZK (unfortunately it’s not free as in other parts of the world). Coke (0,3 l) is about 35 CZK (USD). It’s common to round up the bill and leave up to 10 % as a tip.
Average prices of food in Brno supermarkets:
- A loaf of bread (500 g) – 25 CZK (1 USD)
- 12 eggs – 40 CZK (USD)
- 1 kg of bananas – 30 CZK (USD)
- 1 kg of onions – 22 CZK (USD)
- 1 kg of potatoes – 22 CZK (USD)
- 1 l of regular milk – 17 CZK (USD)
- A white yogurt (150 g) – 8 CZK (0,4 USD)
- 1 kg of chicken fillets – 130 CZK (6 USD)
- 1 kg of beef round – 250 CZK (12 USD)
For those who want to buy fresh vegetables and fruits, I highly recommend „Zelný trh“ (Vegetable Market) which is a beautiful square within the city center, where you can buy fresh fruits and veggies from local producers usually at lower prices than in supermarkets.
If you cook for yourself at home, you won’t typically spend more than 3000 CZK per month on food. Of course, it depends on your choice what you want to eat.
Miscellaneous Costs of Living in Brno
Mobile SIM card
You might also wonder if it is a good idea to buy a local SIM card. Well, prices in the Czech Republic aren’t that great and you usually can’t buy unlimited data with a prepaid sim card. If you come from another EU country, it is better to keep your current sim card.
Local prepaid SIM card costs about 200 CZK and then you have to typically pay for minutes, SMS and data.
Alcohol and Cigarettes
I have already mentioned famous Czech beer. Prices of other alcohol vary according to the producer. You can get a bottle of mid-range wine from 70 CZK to 150 CZK (3 – 7 USD). I would recommend visiting some wineries where you can get much cheaper and better wine than in supermarkets. The wine region of South Moravia has delicious wine called Pálava (Pálava is a part of Moravia), so definitely try that one out. Another Moravian wine to try is Muškát Moravský.
If you want to try some typical Czech alcoholic drinks, go for Slivovice (a plum brandy) or Becherovka (herbal liqueur). Foreigners also like to try Absinthe, which is legal in the Czech Republic.
Typical prices for a 0,5 l bottle of alcoholic drinks:
- Slivovice – around 150 CZK (7 USD)
- Becherovka – around 170 CZK (8 USD)
- Absinthe – 400 CZK (19 USD)
20-pack of cigarettes cost about 110 CZK (5 USD).
Conclusion
In case you live alone in a flat or apartment, your average monthly cost will be around 16 000 CZK (750 USD) including your free time activities and transportation cost. You can make it about 6 000 CZK (280 USD) less, in case you find shared housing.
Brno in general is not that expensive city. For example, the cost of living is about 8 % lower than in the capital (Prague) and the rent in Brno is on average 24 % lower than in Prague.
Brno is a lovely city to pick. Actually in 2019, it was voted as the 6th most favorite student city to live in. A lot of nice restaurants, cafés, and clubs, combined with a historical center, plenty of parks, and nearby nature make simply a perfect mix for a city where to live.
About The Author
Adriana Plotzerová is a passionate traveler and blogger at Svatbeni.cz and CzechtheWorld.com. Adriana was born in Brno and lived there most of her life.
