Prague Myth #3: Everything's cheaper in Prague

The beers (esp Pilsen and other locals): definitely yes, especially in non-touristy places; half a liter will cost you under $1 US each!

The food is typically a little cheaper than US, especially at grocery stores, but not always. And if you want to eat at one of those open air restaurants in the Old Town Square, forget it. :-) Subway and McD and the like are close to US prices.

Public transportation here (subway, tram, bus) is a godsend: cheap, clean, and runs often, always on time, and to where you want to go.

What I've actually found to be fairly expensive here are electronics. You won't save money buying CDs here. Another prime example: in my quest to get my camera working, I looked into what the Sony store charges for a new AC adapter cable for my camera. Answer: a whopping Kc 1800, or 2300 for a charger alone! (US prices: at least $77 US for a simple charger cable!). Hairdryers etc are also ~US prices.

Apartment rent in the city is fairly expensive too; almost all of the students here at ÚFAL live well outside the city and commute in. Monthly phone service to my apartment will be ~$20/month, plus extra when I actually make any calls (this is comperable to US minimal service), and slow ADSL internet is another $22 on top of that for 256 Mbps max. Not as nice as you might think.

But all in all, for a weekend or weeklong trip where food and drink are the main focuses, Prague is a great place to be. And for the beautiful sights and culture, it's hard to beat. :-)