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A 14m motor yacht in Mykonos, departing Ornos Bay at 10am on the third Saturday of July, taking eight guests to Rhenia for swimming, lunch at Spilia on the south coast, and back to Old Port at 7pm, costs €5,200 day rate plus €1,800 fuel plus €700 tip. The same boat in the second week of June costs €3,400 day rate plus €1,200 fuel plus €460 tip. The same boat in October costs €2,400 day rate plus €1,000 fuel plus €340 tip. Three months, same hardware, same captain, €3,700 swing.
This page itemises the actual cost of a day on the water from Mykonos for 2026: every category of boat, every season, every line item. We name the operators we would book first and the inclusion games that inflate quotes. The data is calibrated against 80 day-charter quotes pulled from four Mykonos operators across April 2026.
The four boat categories
Mykonos day charter inventory splits into four categories, each with its own rate logic.
RIBs, 7 to 9m, 6 to 10 guests. Open-deck inflatable-tube boats with twin outboards. Fast (30 to 40 knot cruising), wet (spray and wind), and simple. Best for short itineraries with active swimmers. Peak day rates €800 to €1,800 with skipper, half-day rates from €400. The dominant category for value-conscious clients.
Motor yachts, 12 to 18m, 6 to 12 guests. Cabin yachts with shade, sound system, head, swim platform, and crewed service. The mainstream Mykonos day-charter category. Peak day rates €3,000 to €7,000 with skipper and steward. A typical eight-guest Delos and Rhenia day lands here.
Sailing yachts and catamarans, 14 to 20m, 8 to 14 guests. Sailing monohulls or cruising catamarans, motoring most of the day in Cycladic light winds, sailing when conditions allow. More space than equivalent-length motor yachts. Peak day rates €2,500 to €6,500 with crew of 2 to 3.
Superyachts, 22 to 35m, 10 to 16 guests. Large motor yachts with full interior, multiple cabins, premium tender, water toys, chef-prepared lunch, and crew of 4 to 8. Peak day rates €10,000 to €25,000+. The Mykonos high end.
Day rates by boat size, peak July to August
Indicative day-rate ranges for 2026 peak (10 July to 25 August), departing Mykonos Old Port, Ornos, or Platis Gialos.
| Boat type | Length | Day rate, peak | Day rate, June or September | Inclusions standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIB | 7 to 8m | €800 to €1,200 | €500 to €800 | Skipper, fuel partial |
| RIB | 8 to 9m | €1,000 to €1,800 | €700 to €1,200 | Skipper, fuel partial |
| Motor yacht | 12 to 14m | €3,000 to €4,500 | €2,200 to €3,500 | Skipper, steward, fuel often extra |
| Motor yacht | 14 to 16m | €4,500 to €6,500 | €3,200 to €4,800 | Skipper, steward, fuel often extra |
| Motor yacht | 16 to 18m | €6,000 to €8,500 | €4,500 to €6,500 | Skipper, steward, fuel often extra |
| Sailing catamaran | 14 to 16m | €2,500 to €4,500 | €1,800 to €3,200 | Skipper, hostess, fuel partial |
| Sailing catamaran | 16 to 20m | €4,000 to €6,500 | €2,800 to €4,800 | Skipper, hostess, fuel partial |
| Superyacht | 22 to 26m | €10,000 to €15,000 | €7,000 to €11,000 | Captain, 3 to 5 crew, fuel extra |
| Superyacht | 26 to 35m | €15,000 to €25,000+ | €10,000 to €17,000 | Captain, 5 to 8 crew, fuel extra |
What "day rate" actually includes
Mykonos day charter quotes vary widely in what is included. Confirm before booking.
Boat hire and skipper, always. The headline day rate covers the boat and licensed captain. Always.
Fuel. Sometimes. Smaller boats (RIBs, 12 to 14m motor yachts) often include fuel for a defined cruising range, typically 20 to 30 nautical miles. Larger boats charge fuel separately at €4.50 to €6.00 per litre. A 14 to 16m motor yacht typically burns 250 to 400 litres on a standard 25 nautical mile day, costing €1,200 to €2,400. Confirm the consumption-per-hour figure with the operator and back-calculate.
Hostess or steward. Standard on yachts above 12m. Some smaller operators charge €150 to €300 separately.
Lunch. Variable. The standard menu: cold meze platter, salads, grilled chicken or fish, dessert. Costs €40 to €100 per guest depending on quality, plus €15 to €30 for drinks. Some operators include lunch in the day rate; most quote separately.
Drinks. Almost always extra. Soft drinks and beer included or modestly priced. Wine, spirits, premium drinks charged at €10 to €40 per bottle. Champagne €60 to €200.
Water toys. Variable. Snorkels, masks, and paddleboards usually included. Jet skis, electric foils, towed water sports usually €100 to €400 daily supplement.
Mooring or dockage fees. Always extra. Delos and Rhenia anchorages free. Mykonos Old Port docking fee €20 to €60. Tinos or Paros port fees €30 to €80 if the day extends.
Tip. Always extra. 10 to 15 percent of day rate in cash to skipper.
Typical all-in day cost, three scenarios
Scenario one. Eight guests, 14m motor yacht, Delos and Rhenia day, peak July 2026.
- Day rate: €5,200
- Fuel (320 litres, fuel-extra contract): €1,600
- Lunch and drinks (8 guests at €70): €560
- Water toys supplement: €0 (standard inclusions)
- Tip (12 percent of day rate): €625
- Total: €7,985
Scenario two. Six guests, 8m RIB, Super Paradise to Lia Beach lunch run, peak July 2026.
- Day rate: €1,400
- Fuel (included for standard range): €0
- Restaurant lunch ashore at Lia (paid directly): €280
- Tip (10 percent): €140
- Total: €1,820
Scenario three. Twelve guests, 26m superyacht with chef, Mykonos to Paros lunch and return, peak August 2026.
- Day rate: €15,500
- Fuel (490 litres at €5.40): €2,650
- Chef catering and premium wine list: €2,200
- Tip (13 percent of day rate): €2,015
- Total: €22,365
How peak season builds in
Three demand spikes inside the Mykonos calendar.
Mid-July to mid-September. The base peak season. Rates run 20 to 30 percent above June and October. Booking lead time 4 to 8 weeks for anything above 12m.
Greek and Italian holidays. 14 to 17 August (Ferragosto and Greek Assumption holiday). Adds 15 to 25 percent above base peak. Inventory tightens sharply. Last-minute booking inside 5 days carries premium or no availability.
Weekend premium. Saturday and Sunday in peak run 5 to 15 percent above mid-week equivalents. Some operators do not discount mid-week; the strongest operators do.
What we would pass on
Three things we tell clients to avoid.
Quotes without itemised inclusions. Operators who quote a single number without breaking out fuel, lunch, dockage, and tip are setting up upcharges. Walk away. Reputable operators provide a one-page breakdown by line item.
Boats with junior skippers in peak season. The standard summer staffing pattern in Mykonos has experienced captains running superyacht charters and junior captains on smaller boats. A junior captain on a 14m motor yacht in peak August is fine in calm meltemi-light conditions and not fine in 25-knot meltemi conditions. Ask the operator about the captain's seasons-of-experience and the meltemi-day cancellation policy.
Pickup from a third-party location. Some operators ask clients to be at a beach with no marina access. Pickup logistics in a Mykonos peak Saturday morning are a real cost in client time. Always confirm departure point and timing.
Day charters out of Greek tax compliance. Greek charter operators must hold a Class-A or Class-B charter licence with VAT registration. Operators running off-licence (no VAT receipt, no licence visible on the boat) carry real legal and insurance risk for the client. The day rate is irrelevant if the insurance is invalid. Always request the operator's licence number and VAT registration before paying a deposit.
Booking timing
Peak July to August inventory. 6 to 10 weeks ahead for motor yachts above 12m. 8 to 14 weeks ahead for superyachts above 22m.
Shoulder June and September. 3 to 5 weeks ahead is usually adequate.
Off-season May and October. Often bookable 5 to 10 days ahead, sometimes same-day if weather is settled.
Cross-references
For destination context on what to do with the day once booked, see Day Charter Mykonos. For neighbouring island day-charter pricing as benchmark, read Day charter prices Ibiza and the upcoming Saint-Tropez and Capri equivalents. For the broader operator-selection logic, read How to book a day charter. For the post-trip stay context, see HotelsForKings Mykonos and the Charter Cyclades weekly-charter alternative.
Next steps
If you want comparison rate data, read Day charter prices Ibiza and Day charter prices Saint-Tropez. For the operator vetting steps before booking, read How to book a day charter. For the destination-side context on where the boat can take you, see Day Charter Mykonos.