Prague Gigs: How a Broke Student Survives in This City
so, you’re a student in prague and you need cash? yeah, same here. been there, done that, cried over a 200-czech koruna beer. let’s cut the bullshit - prague ain’t cheap if you’re living off student loans. rent’s a monster, and the only thing more unpredictable than the weather is whether your landlord will ghost you after three months. speaking of weather, it’s currently doing that thing where it’s 50% fog and 50% existential dread - perfect for hiding tear-streaked faces after checking bank balances. vienna’s a 4-hour train ride if you need to escape, and bratislava’s basically your chaotic drunk uncle who’s always got cheap beer but zero life advice.
anyway, jobs. here’s the raw deal:
prague’s part-time scene is like a slovakian folk dance - chaotic but somehow functional. tourism gigs are everywhere, especially around charles bridge. bartending? solid if you speak czech. english teaching? great until your student realizes ‘cat’ and ‘cot’ sound the same. and don’t get me started on those ‘prague castle tour guide’ ads - they want you to know the habsburg dynasty better than your own family tree.
*actual data dump: rent for a shoebox in vinohrady? €650. outside the center? €450. pickpocketing’s so bad that locals call the old town ‘the wallet graveyard’. the job market’s tight, but if you’re flexible, you’ll find something. check the r/prague subreddit for gigs - it’s basically prague’s digital barista.
here’s what’s actually working for me:
- tourism traps: leaflet handing out at the astronomical clock. €8/hour. pro tip: learn to say ‘no photo’ in czech before you lose your mind.
- kitchen hell: washing dishes at a place near česká street. €6/hour + tips. locals tip like they’re giving away free money. they’re not.
- ghostwriting*: this one’s weird. writing english essays for exchange kids. €50/essay. ethical? debatable. profitable? absolutely.
> “mate, i tried being a ‘prague experience’ tour guide. lasted two weeks before some australian asked if the horse statue at černín palace was ‘real’. i quit and became a beer taster instead.”
> “heard from this bartender at u medvídků that the ‘students get 20% off’ deal is a lie. they charge everyone student prices. prague’s a scam.”
pro-tip: avoid any job listing that says ‘flexible hours’ - that means ‘we’ll pay you in expired vouchers’. also, yelp’s prague section is gold for finding under-the-table gigs. and seriously? tripadvisor forums have more job leads than my career counselor.
so yeah, prague’s expensive, but it’s not a death sentence. you’ll survive. probably. maybe. just don’t invest in any ‘prague castle’ pyramid schemes. or do. i’m not your dad.
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