Sokolov, Aš, Františkovy Lázně or Mariánské Lázně? Rents compared
Of these four towns, Sokolov has the cheapest rent — a one-room flat (1+kk) at around CZK 6,250 to 6,500 — and Sokolov also has the least work, with 18.30 applicants per vacancy. Aš and Františkovy Lázně sit in between on price, but with very little choice of flats. Mariánské Lázně comes out the most expensive on the ordinary market — and yet you will find a new 1+kk flat there for CZK 7,900 in rent, because it is offered directly by the owner of the building and is not an old flat being passed on.
Price: what you will pay for a small flat
| Town | Small flat listing (September 2026) | Per m² |
|---|---|---|
| Sokolov | 1+kk, 20 m², CZK 6,250–6,500 | roughly CZK 313–325/m² |
| Aš | 1+kk, 35 m², CZK 9,000 | roughly CZK 257/m² |
| Františkovy Lázně | 30 m², CZK 10,000–10,500 | roughly CZK 333–350/m² |
| Mariánské Lázně — ordinary market | 1+kk CZK 11,500–15,000 | often over CZK 400/m² |
| Mariánské Lázně — Rezidence Pelikán | 1+kk, approx. 22 m², CZK 7,900 | roughly CZK 359/m² |
The per-square-metre figure is misleading for small flats — the smaller the flat, the higher the price per metre, because the bathroom and the kitchenette cost the same in a 20 m² flat as in a 60 m² one. What matters for a decision is the monthly amount you actually pay. And that includes utilities, services and any estate agent's commission. The gap between “rent of CZK 6,500” and “CZK 11,500 with everything included” can be smaller once it is all added up than it looks; how that is worked out is shown in the article flat fees: what they include.
Jobs: where cheap rent has its price
Cheap housing in the region usually means a weak job market. Data from the Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ) as at 31 July 2026:
| District | Share of unemployed persons | Applicants per vacancy |
|---|---|---|
| Cheb (Aš, Františkovy Lázně, Mariánské Lázně) | 4.49% | 1.66 |
| Sokolov | 7.67% | 18.30 |
Aš, Františkovy Lázně and Mariánské Lázně all lie in the Cheb district, that is, in the district with the lowest unemployment in the region and the 32nd best position among all districts in the Czech Republic. Sokolov, by contrast, is 71st of the districts; only Karviná, Most, Bruntál and Chomutov are worse off. Anyone moving in search of work, rather than with a job already in hand, should give that figure more weight than a CZK 1,500 difference in rent.
Transport and location
- Sokolov — on the main Cheb–Karlovy Vary line, easily reached in both directions.
- Aš — the westernmost town in the Czech Republic, at the end of a branch line for transport; by train to Cheb, further on with a change. Many people here work in Germany.
- Františkovy Lázně — a few minutes from Cheb, a quiet spa town, but small and with a limited choice of flats and services.
- Mariánské Lázně — 27 km from Cheb, 19 to 25 minutes by train; direct express trains to Prague (2 hours 26 minutes) and a local line to Karlovy Vary.
The practical consequence: from both Mariánské Lázně and Františkovy Lázně you can commute to work in Cheb and live in a spa setting. From Aš that is harder, and from Sokolov anywhere other than Karlovy Vary is harder too.
What you get for the money
The price on its own says nothing until you know what is included in it. A typical cheap flat in the region is an older prefab or tenement flat where you pay rent, advance payments for utilities separately, often an estate agent's commission of one month's rent, and a deposit.
In Rezidence Pelikán it is different: CZK 7,900 in rent, roughly CZK 11,500 a month including utilities and services, with no estate agent's commission, because the owner lets the flats directly. The price includes the shared TV antenna (STA) in every flat, a free laundry room and camera surveillance at the entrance, in the corridors and on the car park. Optional extras are a parking space in front of the building for CZK 500 a month, furnishing of the flat for CZK 750 a month and StarNet internet from CZK 299 (arranged separately). The building is a refurbished former hotel — how and why, we describe in the article why we turned the hotel into flats.
Summary: which town suits whom
- Sokolov — when your job is secure and what you want is the lowest rent in the region.
- Aš — when you work in Germany or in Aš itself.
- Františkovy Lázně — when you want maximum quiet and a small town is enough for you; expect a long search for a suitable flat.
- Mariánské Lázně — when you want quiet and nature, but at the same time to stay within reach of the Cheb district job market and to have predictable total costs.
Of the 20 flats in Rezidence Pelikán, 10 are occupied. We arrange viewings on an ongoing basis, and you can move in straight away.