Moving to Illinois from Czech Republic

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Czech Republic to Illinois — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Czech Republic to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 74.6% more expensive than Czech Republic overall. A CZK1,587,802 salary in Czech Republic would need to be roughly $87,800 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Czech Republic to Illinois.

What does your salary buy?

CZK1,587,802 $87,800

To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 41.6% more

Groceries

pay 67.0% more

Transportation

pay 38.9% more

Housing

pay 98.6% more

Childcare

pay 3.2 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 53.0% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 CZK = 0.0472 USD (July 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Illinois cost about 27% more than cities in Czech Republic.

Czech Republic

Liberec 49%
Brno 49%
Plzen 45%

Illinois

Chicago 76%
Champaign 53%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Czech Republic to Illinois, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
510 ↑ 11% vs 2022

people moved from Czech Republic to United States · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to United States?

Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Czech Republic to Illinois.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

CZ
26.0%
IL
34.6%

Czech Republic performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

CZ
86.8%
IL
89.6%

Illinois performs significantly better than Czech Republic across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

CZ
2.6%
IL
4.8%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

CZ
$47,700
IL
$70,691

Czech Republic generally does better on employment & economy, though Illinois leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

CZ
79.7 yrs
IL
76.8 yrs

Czech Republic performs better than Illinois across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Prague Rain: 17.1 in/yr (435 mm)
57° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

Springfield Rain: 37.4 in/yr (951 mm)
63° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Prague Springfield
Jan–Mar 42°/31°F (5°/-1°C) 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun 67°/48°F (19°/9°C) 74°/52°F (23°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 74°/56°F (23°/13°C) 83°/61°F (29°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 47°/37°F (8°/2°C) 52°/33°F (11°/1°C)
View all months
Month Prague Springfield
Jan 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.4°C) 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C)
Feb 40°/29°F (4.4°/-1.8°C) 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C)
Mar 48°/35°F (9.1°/1.5°C) 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C)
Apr 59°/41°F (15.1°/5.1°C) 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C)
May 69°/49°F (20.3°/9.7°C) 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C)
Jun 73°/55°F (22.8°/12.7°C) 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C)
Jul 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.5°C) 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C)
Aug 77°/58°F (25.1°/14.2°C) 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C)
Sep 68°/51°F (19.9°/10.5°C) 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C)
Oct 58°/44°F (14.2°/6.4°C) 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C)
Nov 45°/36°F (7.2°/2.1°C) 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C)
Dec 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.1°C) 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C)

Data: Czech Hydrometeorological Institute Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Czech Republic and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.

Czech Republic passport

Czech Republic passport holder visiting United States

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Czech Republic passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Czech Republic

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Czech Republic without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Illinois than Czech Republic?

No — Illinois is on average about 17% more expensive than Czech Republic. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Illinois?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $21,950 in Illinois on a CZK1,587,802 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Illinois?

Usually fine from major cities in Illinois. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Czech Republic?

Czech Republic performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Illinois compared to Czech Republic?

The average high temperature in Springfield is 63°F, compared to 57°F in Prague. Springfield receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Prague gets 17.1 in.

What language do they speak in Illinois?

The official language in Illinois is English. In Czech Republic, the official languages are Czech and Slovak.

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At a Glance

CZ
Population 10,705,384 12,830,632
Currency Czech Republic Koruna (CZK) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Czech, Slovak English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +420 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 112 911