Prices in restaurants in the Czech Republic are now rising for the third year in a row. According to the latest data, prices for popular dishes such as pizza and goulash have risen considerably compared to the previous year. The cost of a pizza has increased by CZK 15 on average, while goulash has become CZK 11 more expensive.
Compared to the current slow rise in prices for goods in shops – with an inflation rate of two per cent – the data shows that the catering industry has been hit much harder. According to a report by Seznam Zprávy, the price index for catering services has risen by 7.4 per cent, while accommodation has become 8.1 per cent more expensive.
Data from the cash register company Dotykačka confirms this trend and shows a marked increase in prices in restaurants, bistros, and cafeterias. The price of a typical lunch has risen from an average of CZK 146 to CZK 158 within a year. The analysis also shows that five popular lunch dishes – schnitzel, goulash, pizza, burger, and Caesar salad – have all become more than ten crowns more expensive.
The price of pizza has risen particularly sharply, from an average of CZK 162 to CZK 177, an increase of nine per cent. The schnitzel now costs CZK 175, having become CZK 14 more expensive. The burger is the only dish whose price has exceeded the psychological threshold of CZK 200 and now averages CZK 202.
Another area in which significant price increases have been recorded is beer prices. On average, these have risen by CZK 6 to CZK 53 per half litre of beer. This is partly due to the change in the taxation of draught beer – from a reduced tax rate of 10% to the regular rate of 21%.
In addition to the increase in the tax rate for beer, high energy and labour costs also play a role in the price increases in the catering industry. Although gas and electricity are significantly cheaper than during the energy crisis following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, when prices were up to ten times higher, they remain a significant cost factor.
