Start with the currency, not a daily-budget number
The Czech Republic uses the Czech koruna (CZK), not the euro. That sounds basic, but it matters every time a card terminal, ATM or very tourist-focused business offers to convert your purchase into your home currency. A fixed 'Prague costs X per day' number ages quickly and ignores whether you stay in a hostel or a five-star hotel; it is more useful to separate the costs you can control from the ones you cannot.
Accommodation and flights are usually the biggest variables. Once those are booked, Prague's local transport is predictable, many central sights can be enjoyed from public space without an admission ticket, and food costs depend heavily on whether you eat on the busiest tourist squares or a few streets away.
Public transport is one of the easy costs
Prague Integrated Transport changed its city fares on 1 January 2026. At the time of writing, a full-fare 30-minute ticket costs 36 CZK in the PID Lítačka app or 39 CZK on paper; 90 minutes is 46/50 CZK; 24 hours is 140/150 CZK; and 72 hours is 340/350 CZK. Those tickets allow transfers within their validity period. The Airport Express and some special services use separate fares, so do not assume every airport option is covered by an ordinary short ticket.
If you are walking most of the historic centre and taking only one or two tram or metro rides a day, individual tickets may beat a pass. If your itinerary jumps between neighbourhoods, a 24- or 72-hour ticket buys simplicity as well as transport. See our getting around Prague guide for validation and route details.
Cards, cash and dynamic currency conversion
Cards are normal in much of central Prague, but carrying some koruna is still sensible for small purchases and places where terminals fail. When a card terminal or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, that is dynamic currency conversion (DCC). The Czech National Bank explains that DCC conversion is generally less favourable than conversion by the card issuer. In practical terms, if you understand your card's fees, choosing CZK and letting your own bank or card network handle the conversion is usually the cleaner comparison.
At ATMs, also pay attention to the operator and any displayed fee before confirming. A machine being conveniently placed beside a tourist attraction does not make it a good-value withdrawal. Your own bank may charge a foreign-cash fee too, so check that before departure rather than discovering it in Prague.
Exchanging cash without playing roulette
If you arrive with foreign cash, compare the actual amount of koruna you will receive, not a giant '0% commission' sign. Prague City Tourism's official visitor centre at Na Můstku includes an exchange office and specifically describes its rates and fees as clear, which is a useful benchmark if you want an official-city option in the centre.
Do not change a large amount just because you have reached the airport or Old Town. Work out what you actually need in cash, compare the rate and fees, and keep the rest on a card with sensible foreign-transaction terms.
Food: location changes the bill more than cuisine
Restaurant prices vary too much for a single meal figure to be trustworthy across Prague. A Czech lunch or pub meal in a residential neighbourhood can still feel very reasonable by Western European-city standards, while a terrace on Old Town Square can charge a substantial location premium for an ordinary meal. The budget move is not to avoid the centre entirely; it is to decide which view or famous venue is worth paying extra for and which meal is just fuel.
Check menus before sitting down, especially around the most visited squares. For beer halls and Czech food, our Food & Drink guides are more useful than a citywide average because they explain the type of venue and neighbourhood rather than pretending every pint or plate costs the same.
Attractions: add the paid interiors you genuinely want
Prague is unusually good for travellers who like walking: Charles Bridge, Old Town streets, many river views, parks and castle courtyards can fill substantial chunks of a day without a ticket. The bill climbs when you add towers, museums, Jewish Quarter sites and paid Prague Castle interiors.
If you are planning a sightseeing-heavy trip, compare your exact list with the Prague Visitor Pass rather than assuming a city card automatically saves money. Prague City Tourism currently prices the adult pass at 2,700 CZK for 48 hours, 3,300 CZK for 72 hours and 3,900 CZK for 120 hours, with public transport and more than 70 listed experiences included. It can make sense for an intensive itinerary; it can be poor value if you mostly wander neighbourhoods and choose only one or two paid sights.
A better way to build your Prague budget
Start with accommodation and flights because they dominate the total. Then add transport based on how you will actually move, list the paid attractions you genuinely intend to enter, and give yourself a food/drink allowance that includes at least one meal where you are paying for location or atmosphere. Add a small contingency for weather-driven changes, luggage storage or a taxi when you are tired.
The result is more useful than a generic backpacker/mid-range/luxury daily number: it is your trip, in koruna, with the expensive choices visible before you make them.