Get tips, join events & make friends in Prague
Are you an expat living in Prague or thinking about moving here? Learn the ins and outs of life in Prague from our community of Canadians and find how to meet them.
Experiencing the Czech culture can be amazing, but there are moments in life when it’s just nice to spend some time with your fellow countrymen. Having a network of other internationals comes in handy more often than you think. Need to know where you could maybe find authentic Poutine or a store with all your favorite Canadian snacks? Or are you looking for someone to watch the NHL with? Our community has you covered.
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Paul Zimmerer
Over InterNations, I quickly got in touch with some business partners in Prague and other cities in the Eastern European market.
Barbara Sciera
Via Internations, I found the coziest venues and expat hang-outs in Prague - far away from the typical tourists traps.
Why you'll love 51ԹϺin Prague
and countless possibilities for fun and friendship!
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The pros & cons of living in Prague
No place is perfect, there’s always the good, the bad, and the ugly. Find out what our Canadian members love about Prague but also the challenges they face.
Pros:
Cost of living: Prague regularly ranks well in the Personal Finance Index of our survey (16th in 2024), even though costs have gone up somewhat over the past few years.
Public transportation: The public transportation in Prague is efficient and one of the best in Europe. You can take the metro, bus, or tram for a very cheap price to get around almost anywhere in Prague.
Social scene: Prague has a great social scene due to the large number of internationals. There’s a variety of pubs and restaurants to choose from.
Cons:
Wages: Local wages certainly don’t compare to the levels our Canadian members are used to, but the lower cost of living makes up for it in most cases.
Bureaucracy: Czech bureaucracy is infamous beyond the borders of Czech Republic and lives up to the horror stories people tell each other at our events. But at least it’s something you don’t have to deal with daily.
Language barrier: Without basic knowledge of Czech, navigating activities such as city registration, finding housing, and connecting with the locals can be difficult. And expats find learning Czech quite hard … (Czechia actually ranks in the bottom 5 for this factor in our survey.)
Poor customer service: A trend noted among many expats: the service is often quite poor, especially when compared to what you might be used to from home. In general, expats view the local friendliness rather negatively (bottom 5 place in 2024).
Why Canadians move abroad & how they like it
Every year, we publish one of the biggest global surveys among expats and ask them about various aspects of their life. Learn what motivated our Canadian members to move abroad, what keeps them there, as well as what they struggle with or miss about home.
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Meet Canadian expats at our events in Prague
Making friends and building a network in a new city can be hard. Luckily, you’ll meet kindred souls at our events. People who know exactly what it’s like to live abroad, from the joys to the struggles that come with it, and who can share first-hand information about your new home.
Check out our upcoming events and become part of Prague’s large expat family. Newcomers’ Events are geared specially towards people that are new to the city. Let our Ambassadors greet you with open arms and introduce you to other newbies or more experienced expats living in Prague.
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Frequent questions about expat life in Prague
If you’re into the idea of just bumping into other Canadians in a bar, you can try your luck with places like The Dubliners, a sports bar that also shows major NFL games.
But it’s much easier to make friends when attending events for expats specifically. Our 51ԹϺevents are a great opportunity to meet Canadians and other English-speaking expats in Prague. Why not join a Newcomers’ Events, for example? They’re especially geared towards introducing newcomers to the community, which makes finding your first friends a whole lot easier than trying your luck in a bar.
Prague is divided into 10 municipal districts (and 22 administrative ones). The higher the number, the further away from the city center it is. These municipal districts are also used in addresses and street names.
Among internationals, some of the most popular parts of Prague are:
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Prague 2, Vinhorady: It is centrally located and has many parks, bars and restaurants around.
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Prague 6: Also popular among expats because of its international school and embassies.
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Prague 1: The most touristic part of the city, filled with history, culture, and activities.
As a popular tourist destination, Prague is a fairly international city. So, it’s not too hard to get around with no to very limited local language skills, especially in the more central areas. Still, there is always the potential for the proverbial language barrier — and things like getting your official paperwork done, finding a flat, seeing a doctor can be tricky if don’t speak Czech.
So ideally, you treat your time in Prague as an opportunity to learn some Czech. There is a variety of affordable language schools to get you started, and of course, these days there are also very capable apps that allow you to improve on your own time and budget. Even if Czech may seem difficult to learn, speaking it at least a little will be well worth the effort.
To make your time in Prague a bit easier, we’ve also collected some services that cater to English speakers (these services are not affiliated with or endorsed by InterNations):
Description | |
General practitioner (GP) | Private, full-service clinic with lots of different practitioners and including ambulance services; located in Prague 6: |
Dentist | DK Dental High-quality dental care clinic, welcoming expats: |
Urgent care | Czechia’s largest medical center, providing basic and specialized care: |
Immigration assistance | Relocation and visa support with a full-service approach: |
Tax advisor | Comprehensive tax services tailored to your specific needs: |
Instant interpreting service | Native-speaking translators; also provides document translation services: |
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Pursue your hobbies with amazing new friends
Whatever your interest, there’s a wide variety of 51ԹϺGroups you can join. These groups are run by dedicated Consuls with at least one activity each month, such as dinners at Prague’s trendiest restaurants, outings with other members of the Spontaneous Activities Group, after-work sessions with the Sports Events Group, and more. Discover all that the Czech capital has to offer and have fun.
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Enjoy the international experience with InterNations
We’re not just active in Prague — 51ԹϺalso offers a lively community in Brno.
And that’s not all! If you’re in the mood for a nice night out while traveling further abroad, you can always join in at events elsewhere, too. We have communities in over 420 cities worldwide. Browse all 51ԹϺCommunities.
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Canadian expats in the Czech Republic
Other Nationalities in Prague
Czech Republic Guide Topics
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