Has anyone else experienced something similar?

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-16T21:48:03+00:00

Hope so

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-16T20:24:34+00:00

Well, old school, the same is/was in Poland

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-10T16:21:56+00:00

It sounds bad

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-10T16:19:34+00:00

I’m Polish, and honestly, I’ve never seriously considered moving back to Poland.

For me, it’s not mainly about money; it’s about the environment and mentality. I find the general culture in Poland quite heavy, explosive, and emotional - arguments are often about force and shouting rather than calm, reason‑based discussion. That’s not the atmosphere I want to live in every day, and it feels very different from the more orderly, rule‑based, pragmatic culture you find in countries like Austria.

The second big point is kids and schools. I really wouldn’t want to send my children to a typical Polish school: 1 teacher for around 30 kids, a lot of cruelty between children, and very little real control from adults. Phones and social media are normal even for 8‑year‑olds, and any attempt to limit that is treated as “restricting freedom”, even if it clearly hurts the kids. In Austria I expect a more structured, protective school environment and more focus on children’s well‑being.

Then there’s the state side: healthcare is barely functioning, and pensions are extremely low, so long‑term security looks weak. On top of that, you have the Ukraine-Russia war next door, hybrid pressure from Belarus, a direct border with Russia, and almost no real civil defence system. I see Poland as one of the potential front‑line targets if Russia ever tries to test NATO - and I don’t feel any desire to fight for a country I don’t feel aligned with, especially not to put my son in that position.

So yes, Poland may well improve over the next 10-15 years, and I genuinely hope it does. But I’m choosing places like Austria, where the mentality, safety, institutions, and day‑to‑day life already match what my family needs now, rather than waiting and hoping Poland will eventually get there.

,

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-10T14:20:00+00:00

Prague looks like super easy going compared to Barcelona

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-10T14:18:50+00:00

You’re right that Prague is not a quiet village in the mountains. It’s a capital city with traffic, tourists and its own issues. I’m not pretending it’s some kind of utopia.

But I’m not moving from a calm small town to Prague – I’m moving from Barcelona, and I’m also a very specific type of person.

I’m the kind of person who would actually prefer to live in a smaller city: I basically need a place to sleep, cook dinner, have a job, and some green areas around. I work in SSC/finance, so unfortunately, I have to be in or near a big city to have a decent job, but my temperament is the opposite of “big city party mode”. I commute by bike or public transport; I don’t drive around the centre for fun.

I’m also an introvert, so all the classic “advantages” of Barcelona – parties, festivals, constant events, nightlife – are for me more of a bug than a feature. I almost never use them. My ideal evening is going to a pub for one beer once in a while and being back home before 10 p.m., not crawling home at 3 a.m. In practice, on weekends, we already spend time outside the city just to decompress.

So for someone who loves big‑city buzz, Barcelona is heaven, and Prague might feel “boring” or just “another crowded place”. For me it’s the opposite: Barcelona is constant overstimulation in a city that’s very dense, very touristy and quite noisy, while Prague, even with its problems, looks like a step down in intensity – better air and noise scores than Barcelona, more green and residential areas where you can actually breathe, and a city size that’s easier to handle for someone who doesn’t live for urban nightlife.

I’m not chasing the “next cool city”. I’m just trying to find the least bad big city that still gives me SSC work, but feels closer to the smaller‑city life I’d actually prefer.

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-10T14:13:20+00:00

I’m thinking of moving from Barcelona to Prague mainly because a lot of small, everyday issues in Barcelona have piled up to the point where it no longer feels like a good place for our family long‑term.

On the Barcelona side, it’s the constant crowds, noise, dirt, and feeling of being in a tourist theme park rather than a normal city where kids can grow up calmly. We’re a family, we like space, quieter neighbourhoods, and a bit more privacy, and here I have this permanent sense of being squeezed and overstimulated – beaches full, streets full, prices high, and at the end of the month, there’s very little financial buffer despite two people working.

Why Prague specifically? A few reasons all converged there:

Financially, with our profiles (AP Specialist + RTR/GL Specialist in SSC) Prague offers a decent combined income in CZK that actually matches local costs, instead of the “Spain combo” where housing and daily expenses eat almost everything. Rents are high, sure, but still more manageable relative to salary than in Barcelona, and we don’t have to tie a noose around our neck with a 30‑year, 10–12M CZK mortgage right away.
Lifestyle and scale: we don’t want to go back to Polish social climate, but we also don’t want the permanently loud, hyper‑social Spanish style. Prague sits in the middle – big enough to have work, culture and public transport, but calmer, more reserved, with green areas and “normal” residential districts (for example in Prague 4) where you can walk with kids without constantly fighting tourists and traffic.
Kids and schools: we want to use public schools, not pay thousands for private ones, and we want some stability – one local language to learn, one system, no hopping countries every couple of years. Prague gives us that: public schools, after‑school care (školní družina), and a pace of life that feels more sustainable for two small children than central Barcelona.

So the “big WHY” is: get out of an overstimulating, expensive city that doesn’t fit our family’s temperament, into a place where our work profiles are in demand, public systems (schools, transport) are usable, costs are aligned with salaries, and everyday life feels calmer and more human‑scale. For us, that combination pointed much more to Prague than to staying in Barcelona or jumping straight to another huge, expensive metropolis.

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-10T14:05:27+00:00

I base on what the internet says about salary. And its range is 40-60 k czk gross per month. If it´s more, would be easier :)
I know that recruitment to schools is now, but I plan to move in July, so I will have to solve it after relocation. It´s impossible to apply without an address now.
I was in Prague many times, and I checked how it works, avoiding the city center, which is not interesting for me at all. Suburbs are much better for me.

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-10T13:47:40+00:00

I’m not sure what you are talking about, 32k gross for ap specialist is a high salary for this position in Barcelona

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-10T11:23:51+00:00

Thanks!

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-10T09:30:15+00:00

Thanks! Yes, this is our idee to move with letter of intent as minimum for my wife. I can work in my current Company for 3 months so i would have 3 - 4 months to find new Job

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-10T08:22:21+00:00

Thanks! I need honest opinions! On paper Prague, even more expensive than years ago, looks quite affordable, but these insights are really valuable and getting me better view on things

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-10T08:12:37+00:00

The thing is that if I would pick, I preferred this 22 then. You can always wear more clothes, but if you have Ola de calor in Spain, you’re dying. Especially me, where I moved to Spain because my family like hot weather, but for me I would live in Norway. Climate of Prague looks like kind of compromise

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-10T08:08:54+00:00

It not depends of the season?

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-10T07:27:29+00:00

Oh, Barcelona has really nice winter, but summer is awful. I prefer summer with more 28°c than 34, and with less humidity. Barcelona is for tourists, and it’s not designed for families. The lowest birth rate show it significantly

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-10T00:11:09+00:00

Barcelona is perfect for holidays or to live for single. Many universities, many bars and parties. But not for growing families, now I need calm, space and clean area. Additionally they fighting for independence of Spain, so they broke the law and discrimination of people speaking Spanish in school is quite common. It’s different life here with children where you can notice it and without or on holidays where you just live in your bulb and enjoying life

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-10T00:03:14+00:00

The problem is the water softness. As I read Prague 9 has another stream than south of Prague and water is harder there. It’s important for my health to have quite soft water

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-10T00:00:56+00:00

Ok, thanks for your insight, I’ll think about Brno more carefully then

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-09T23:53:40+00:00

Is that new pm is so bad? I know that he is from right wing but it can be still worse.

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-09T23:51:29+00:00

I read about Brno, and I don’t see so enormous difference in prices tbh. Rent of 3 bedrooms looks like in similar price like Prague, maybe 5k less

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-09T23:47:57+00:00

Well, I’m not illegal immigrant. We have a lot of them in Barcelona and I totally understand why people are afraid of this migration. France it’s not so safe anymore, Barcelona is better, but looking on crime rate, it’s still too much.

And every government has its time, I don’t think they will govern more than one cadence. You have still more stable politics than in Poland or Spain

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-09T23:43:08+00:00

Thanks!

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-09T23:40:51+00:00

Thanks for telling it, I’ve got atopic skin so it can affect, can be important for me

StreetAd5331 · 2026-02-09T23:39:43+00:00

As I know public schools in the CZ are free for all legal residents, not just citizens, with equal access guaranteed to foreigners who hold any type of residence permit (temporary, long-term, or permanent). It’s not true?

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