Living in Ostrava
In Ostrava, unemployment is 8.5% (2021).
Ostrava had a population of 283,187 in 2025. The city covered 214.2 km² in 2025. Population density was 1,321.9 people per km² in 2025. Fixed internet cost €14.32 per month at the provider's published price in October 2026. A monthly estimate placed basic utilities for an 85 m² home at €207.46 in August 2026. An estimate placed an inexpensive restaurant meal at €9.50 in August 2026.
Cheaper rent than any other Czech city that publishes it and higher unemployment than 96% of Czech cities that publish it.
Which Czechia-wide rules apply when you move to Ostrava?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
The housing-vacancy rate was 7.7% in March 2021.
How much does it cost to rent in Ostrava?
Average net cold rent is 4.83 EUR/m² per month (2017), excluding heating and operating charges.
Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.
- Average net rent (nettokalt): 4.83 EUR/m²/month · Eurostat11
Supplemental estimate lane, not official statistics: Utilities, 85 m² flat, Private kindergarten, Fitness club. The others are published prices.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness club membership, monthly | 49.51 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo40Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Grocery basket, monthly | 63.67 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo40Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 14.32 EUR/month | 31 Oct 2026 | O2 Ceník základních služeb, effective 1 October 202617Official · national market |
| Private kindergarten, monthly | 378.7 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo40Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | 9.5 eur | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo40Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 14.32 EUR/month | 31 Oct 2026 | Předplacená karta, svoboda bez závazků28Official · national market |
| Monthly transport pass | 22.57 EUR/month | 8 May 2026 | Dlouhodobé jízdenky pro dospělé9Official |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² home | 207.5 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo40Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Dwellings | 145,795 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ)4Official |
| Housing vacancy rate | 7.7 % | 26 Mar 2021 | Official statistics: unemployment rate25Official |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 4.83 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €8.58 | 31 Dec 2017 | Eurostat11Official |
Is Ostrava a good place to live?
There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.
Worked out from these numbers
What does a 60 m² flat cost?
About 290 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 4.83 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.
Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.
Work and income
The unemployment rate was 8.5% in March 2021.
What is the unemployment rate in Ostrava?
The unemployment rate is 8.5 % (March 2021). Source: Official statistics: unemployment rate25
Ostrava 8.5%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public employment offices | 1 count | 15 Sept 2026 | Úřad práce ČR — Ostrava (centrum)30Official |
| People in employment | 133,983 people | 31 Dec 2021 | Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ)5Official |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 1,744 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | ČSÚ — Gross monthly earnings by region, 20251Official · regional context |
| Unemployment rate | 8.5 %country median 4.1% | 26 Mar 2021 | Official statistics: unemployment rate25Official |
Unemployment rate fell 7.1% between 1993 and 2024, from 6.5% to 6.1%.
What does a salary buy in Ostrava?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentUtilitiesTransportInternetMobileLeft over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
| Each month | € |
|---|---|
| Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08. | €1,383 |
| Rent, 60 m²€4.83/m² · official · Eurostat · 2017-12-31 | − €290 |
| Public transport pass€23 · official · Dlouhodobé jízdenky pro dospělé · 2026-05-08 | − €23 |
| Utilities, 85 m²€207 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03 | − €207 |
| Internet€14 · official · O2 Ceník základních služeb, effective 1 October 2026 · 2026-10-31 | − €14 |
| Mobile plan€14 · official · Předplacená karta, svoboda bez závazků · 2026-10-31 | − €14 |
| Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish | €835 |
Public employment offices in Ostrava
Úřad práce ČR lists 1 public employment office in Ostrava (checked 2026-09-16). Use the official office finder for addresses and appointments; registration and job search are also available online through the national service below.
Labour Office of the Czech Republic — Public employment service
The office count comes from the service's own directory. Individual addresses and opening hours are not listed here yet. Sources checked through 16 Sept 2026.
Family and education
Students accounted for 7.24% of the population in 2017. A monthly estimate placed private kindergarten fees at €378.69 in August 2026.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public language course providers | 1 count | 31 Aug 2026 | Official public language-service provider/location register19Official |
School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 6 to 15. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Free Czech-language courses for foreigners (NPI cizinci.npi.cz portal + school adaptation support). How to enrol a child (msmt.gov.cz).
A country-wide rule for Czechia; Ostrava's school authority applies it locally.
Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacies | 76 count | 27 Aug 2026 | Seznam lékáren — SÚKL open data29Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Ostrava when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.
Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.
Open the official coverage guideSafety
How safe is Ostrava?
Police recorded about 2,677 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: KROK Database — 2025 open data15
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 2,677 incidents per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | KROK Database — 2025 open data15Official · county |
Mobility and administration
Car density was 378.5 vehicles per 1,000 residents in 2011. A monthly public-transport pass cost €22.57 at the operator's published fare in May 2026.
Language courses and integration in Ostrava
1 exact course-location record is linked to this city. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.
Centre for Support of Integration of Foreigners — CPIC Ostrava
Českobratrská 2227/7, Ostrava, 702 00
View official recordClimate and air quality
Annual PM2.5 was 16.3 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. Annual NO₂ was 21.7 µg/m³ in 2013.
Is the air quality good in Ostrava?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 16.3 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
- PM2.5 — annual mean: 16.25 µg/m³ · EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data10
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
hours
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO₂ — annual mean | 21.7 µg/m³ | 2013 | Official statistics: NO₂ — annual mean23Official |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 16.25 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data10Official |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 1.7 · Feb 3.8 · Mar 8.5 · Apr 15.1 · May 19.6 · Jun 23.2 · Jul 25.4 · Aug 25.3 · Sep 19.7 · Oct 14 · Nov 8.1 · Dec 2.8 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV31Official |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan -3.7 · Feb -3 · Mar -0.2 · Apr 3.8 · May 8.2 · Jun 12.2 · Jul 13.9 · Aug 13.5 · Sep 9.4 · Oct 5.6 · Nov 2 · Dec -2.1 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV31Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan -0.6 · Feb 0.7 · Mar 4.3 · Apr 9.7 · May 14.2 · Jun 18.1 · Jul 19.9 · Aug 19.4 · Sep 14.4 · Oct 9.6 · Nov 5.1 · Dec 0.6 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV31Official |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 26.2 · Feb 25.9 · Mar 33.9 · Apr 44.1 · May 83.9 · Jun 96 · Jul 96.7 · Aug 69.2 · Sep 74.2 · Oct 51.7 · Nov 39.7 · Dec 31.5 mm | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV31Official |
| Average sunshine by month | Jan 51.2 · Feb 71.3 · Mar 121.6 · Apr 183 · May 213.3 · Jun 224.4 · Jul 242 · Aug 237.5 · Sep 160.6 · Oct 111.5 · Nov 60.5 · Dec 45.5 hours | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV31Official |
Population and city profile
How many people live in Ostrava?
The published population was 283,187 people in 2025. Source: Population of municipalities — 1 January 202527
By nationality
National passport96.7%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars per 1,000 residents | 378.5 cars/1000 residents | 2011 | Official statistics: cars per 1,000 residents20Official |
| City area | 214.2 km² | 1 Jan 2025 | Official statistics: city area21Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 3.4 % | 26 Mar 2021 | Official statistics: foreign-resident share22Official |
| Foreign residents | 9,476 people | 26 Mar 2021 | Official statistics: foreign-resident share22Official |
| Population density | 1,322 people/km² | 1 Jan 2025 | Official statistics: city area21Official |
| Female residents | 144,875 people | 31 Dec 2021 | Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ)6Official |
| Male residents | 137,575 people | 31 Dec 2021 | Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ)6Official |
| Population | 283,187 people | 1 Jan 2025 | Population of municipalities — 1 January 202527Official |
| Students as a share of residents | 7.24 % | 2017 | Official statistics: students as a share of residents24Official |
Population fell 15.2% between 1990 and 2025, from 331,219 to 280,853.
International community in Ostrava
Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.
Citizenship
Population with usual residence; Census 2021; source indicator: Počet obyvatel s obvyklým pobytem · 2021 Census (2021-03-26)
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Slovakia | 2,656 | 0.9% |
| Vietnam | 1,807 | 0.6% |
| Ukraine | 992 | 0.4% |
| South Korea | 433 | 0.2% |
| Poland | 418 | 0.1% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source8
Ancestry or ethnicity
Population with usual residence; Census 2021; source indicator: Počet obyvatel s obvyklým pobytem · 2021 Census (2021-03-26)
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Moravians | 13,194 | 4.7% |
| Slovaks | 6,300 | 2.2% |
| Silesians | 3,173 | 1.1% |
| Roma | 1,473 | 0.5% |
| Vietnamese | 1,286 | 0.5% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source7
Additional context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labour force | 146,424 people | 31 Dec 2021 | Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ)5Official |
Alternatives for people set on Ostrava
Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.
Plzeň as an Ostrava alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 353 km, better on 5 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.
- Foreign residents: 10.7% Plzeň vs 3.4% Ostrava+215%
- Unemployment: 4.2% Plzeň vs 8.5% Ostrava−51%
- Rent: €5.92/m² Plzeň vs €4.83/m² Ostrava+23%
- Empty flats: 11.7% Plzeň vs 7.7% Ostrava+52%
- Annual PM2.5: 11.0 µg/m³ Plzeň vs 16.3 µg/m³ Ostrava−32%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,159 Plzeň vs 2,677 Ostrava−19%
- Residents: 187,928 Plzeň vs 283,187 Ostrava−34%
Amsterdam as an Ostrava alternative in another country
A move, not a commute, at 976 km, better on 1 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Rent and recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.
- Transport pass: €100 Amsterdam vs €23 Ostrava+340%
- Rent: €37.27/m² (2025) Amsterdam vs €4.83/m² (2017) Ostravano percentage
- Annual PM2.5: 9.0 µg/m³ Amsterdam vs 16.3 µg/m³ Ostrava−45%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 8,970 (2024) Amsterdam vs 2,677 (2025) Ostravano percentage
Cities near Ostrava
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Rent
- 6.79 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2026-12-31
- Rent
- 6.75 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2026-12-31
- Rent
- 8.02 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2026-12-31
- Rent
- 5.31 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2026-12-31
Alternative cities in Czechia
Other cities in Czechia to compare with Ostrava, nearest in population first.
How does Ostrava compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Ostrava's.
Ostrava in rankings
Which comparable places record less crime than Ostrava?
122 places have a lower recorded total crime rate than Ostrava in this strictly source-matched cohort.
Ostrava: 2,477.5 published selected criminal delicts/100k residents (2024).
Only the same source family, offence definition, period, grain and denominator method are compared. This is recorded crime, not a claim about personal safety. Official source12
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Ostrava?
The published population was 283,187 people in 2025. Source: Population of municipalities — 1 January 2025.
How much does it cost to rent in Ostrava?
Average net cold rent is 4.83 EUR/m² per month (2017), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 338 EUR a month before utilities. Source: Eurostat.
Is the air quality good in Ostrava?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 16.3 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data.
How safe is Ostrava?
Police recorded about 2,677 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: KROK Database — 2025 open data.
What is the unemployment rate in Ostrava?
The unemployment rate is 8.5 % (March 2021). Source: Official statistics: unemployment rate.
What is the typical salary around Ostrava?
The median gross salary is 1,744 EUR/month. Source: ČSÚ — Gross monthly earnings by region, 2025.
Is Ostrava a good place to live?
Ostrava may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.
Which cities are near Ostrava?
Rychvald, Petřvald, Vratimov, Šenov, Bohumín are near Ostrava. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.
How many people are in the Slovakia citizenship group in Ostrava?
The official citizenship distribution records 2,656 people (0.9%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census (2021-03-26). This is a citizenship measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.
Which comparable places record less crime than Ostrava?
122 places have a lower recorded total crime rate than Ostrava in this strictly source-matched cohort. The comparison uses Policie ČR Mapy kriminality municipal 2024 + CZSO population municipalities 1 January 2024, period 2024, and does not compare across incompatible police definitions.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Ostrava, Czechia: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 73a2f77f497b7cd1537ad4e9db671b1e]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/cz/ostrava/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_ostrava-czechia-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_b99a5962842d,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Ostrava, Czechia: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {73a2f77f497b7cd1537ad4e9db671b1e},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/cz/ostrava/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Ostrava, Czechia: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/cz/ostrava/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 73a2f77f497b7cd1537ad4e9db671b1e; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
- ČSÚ — Gross monthly earnings by region, 2025 ČSÚ · csu.gov.cz · checked 2026-07-29
- csu.gov.cz recorded crime data csu.gov.cz · checked 2026-08-28
- csu.gov.cz recorded crime data csu.gov.cz · checked 2026-08-28
- Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ) csu.gov.cz · checked 2026-08-07
- Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ) csu.gov.cz · checked 2026-08-07
- Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ) csu.gov.cz · checked 2026-08-07
- Czech Statistical Office (CZSO) ancestry or ethnicity distribution csu.gov.cz · checked 2026-08-28
- Czech Statistical Office (CZSO) citizenship distribution csu.gov.cz · checked 2026-08-28
- Dlouhodobé jízdenky pro dospělé dpo.cz · checked 2026-10-12
- EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-26
Show 31 more sources
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-27
- kriminalita.policie.gov.cz recorded crime data kriminalita.policie.gov.cz · checked 2026-08-28
- kriminalita.policie.gov.cz recorded crime data kriminalita.policie.gov.cz · checked 2026-08-28
- kriminalita.policie.gov.cz recorded crime data kriminalita.policie.gov.cz · checked 2026-08-28
- KROK Database — 2025 open data KROK Database · opendata.csu.gov.cz · checked 2026-09-28
- Ministerstvo financí ČR — Cenová mapa nájemního bydlení (kalkulačka tržního nájemného) Ministerstvo financí ČR · mfcr.cz · checked 2026-09-18
- O2 Ceník základních služeb, effective 1 October 2026 o2.cz · checked 2026-10-12
- oecd.org place coordinates oecd.org · checked 2026-08-28
- Official public language-service provider/location register integracnicentra.cz · checked 2026-09-15
- Official statistics: cars per 1,000 residents ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
- Official statistics: city area csu.gov.cz · checked 2026-07-18
- Official statistics: foreign-resident share csu.gov.cz · checked 2026-07-18
- Official statistics: NO₂ — annual mean ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
- Official statistics: students as a share of residents ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
- Official statistics: unemployment rate csu.gov.cz · checked 2026-07-18
- OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
- Population of municipalities — 1 January 2025 Population of municipalities · csu.gov.cz · checked 2026-09-01
- Předplacená karta, svoboda bez závazků eshop.t-mobile.cz · checked 2026-10-12
- Seznam lékáren — SÚKL open data Seznam lékáren · opendata.sukl.cz · checked 2026-09-15
- Úřad práce ČR — Ostrava (centrum) Úřad práce ČR · uradprace.cz · checked 2026-09-15
- WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-29
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q8385 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.