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A 30m motor yacht in the Mediterranean costs $50,000 to $110,000 a week base fee. A 50m yacht costs $180,000 to $320,000. A 70m yacht costs $450,000 to $750,000. An 80m yacht costs $700,000 to $1.2M. The 90m and above class runs $1.5M to $2M a week. These are 2026 numbers from the active charter fleet, sourced across central agents in April 2026.
Base fee is roughly two-thirds of the total cost. APA (25 to 35 percent), gratuity (10 to 15 percent), and VAT (5 to 22 percent depending on cruising waters) add another 50 to 70 percent. A 50m yacht with a $250,000 base fee costs $390,000 to $440,000 all-in for a week in French waters.
This page covers the cost by size band, what drives each step in the rate ladder, the all-in price math at each band, and which size makes sense for what guest group. We assume Mediterranean peak season pricing. Caribbean peak runs roughly 10 to 20 percent below Mediterranean peak; both seasons see 25 to 40 percent off in shoulder.
The full size ladder
The 2026 base-fee ranges for crewed motor yacht charters in the Mediterranean, peak season. Sailing yacht rates run roughly 30 to 40 percent below comparable motor yacht rates at each size band.
| LOA range | Base fee per week (peak) | Crew | Guest capacity | Indicative all-in (peak) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24m to 29m | $50,000 to $90,000 | 4 to 6 | 8 to 10 | $80,000 to $145,000 |
| 30m to 34m | $80,000 to $130,000 | 5 to 7 | 10 to 12 | $128,000 to $210,000 |
| 35m to 39m | $110,000 to $180,000 | 6 to 9 | 10 to 12 | $176,000 to $290,000 |
| 40m to 44m | $140,000 to $230,000 | 8 to 10 | 10 to 12 | $224,000 to $370,000 |
| 45m to 49m | $180,000 to $290,000 | 9 to 12 | 10 to 12 | $288,000 to $466,000 |
| 50m to 54m | $220,000 to $360,000 | 11 to 13 | 10 to 12 | $352,000 to $578,000 |
| 55m to 59m | $280,000 to $440,000 | 12 to 15 | 12 | $448,000 to $706,000 |
| 60m to 64m | $340,000 to $540,000 | 14 to 17 | 12 | $544,000 to $866,000 |
| 65m to 69m | $400,000 to $640,000 | 16 to 19 | 12 | $640,000 to $1,026,000 |
| 70m to 79m | $500,000 to $850,000 | 18 to 24 | 12 | $800,000 to $1,366,000 |
| 80m to 89m | $720,000 to $1.2M | 22 to 28 | 12 | $1.15M to $1.93M |
| 90m and above | $1.5M to $2M | 25 to 38 | 12 | $2.4M to $3.2M |
The indicative all-in numbers assume 30 percent APA, 12 percent gratuity, and 10 percent VAT on charter fee. Actual all-in varies with cruising waters (French VAT 10 percent, Italian VAT 22 percent reducible to 6.6 percent on certain itineraries, Caribbean VAT 0 percent), itinerary intensity (heavier cruising drives APA above 35 percent), and tip culture (10 percent at the low end, 15 percent at the high).
What drives the rate
Three primary cost drivers run through every size band.
Crew payroll. The largest single variable. A 50m yacht runs on 11 to 14 crew at $1.4M to $1.8M annual payroll. A 70m yacht runs on 18 to 22 crew at $2.5M to $3.5M. Each step up the size ladder adds crew, and crew salaries also rise with rank, so the cost scales faster than linear.
Capital recovery. A new 50m yacht costs $40M to $70M. A new 70m yacht costs $80M to $130M. A new 80m yacht costs $130M to $200M-plus. The owner needs charter revenue to recover a meaningful share of opex plus some return on capital. At higher yacht values, the absolute capital recovery required per charter week is larger.
Operating intensity. A 30m yacht in the Med burns 200 to 400 litres of fuel an hour underway. A 70m yacht burns 600 to 900 litres an hour. Marina fees, provisioning per guest, dockage, insurance premiums - all of these scale with yacht size, sometimes faster than linear.
Size by size, what you actually get
The pattern we see is that each step up the ladder is meaningful, but not uniformly so. Some steps move guest experience materially; others mostly move the size of the spaces.
24m to 29m: Entry-level crewed motor yacht. Typical configuration: 3 to 4 cabins, accommodation for 6 to 8 guests, 4 to 6 crew. The flybridge is small. Tender storage is on-deck (no garage). Range is regional. Suits a couple or small family looking to charter for the first time. Best book in the 24m to 29m band: shoulder season, off-peak destinations (Greek Ionian, southern Croatia).
30m to 34m: The middle of the family-charter band. Typical: 4 to 5 cabins, 8 to 10 guests, 5 to 7 crew. Modest beach club opening on newer builds. One main tender plus a chase boat or jet skis. Best suit family of 8 or two couples plus children. The 30m to 34m band has the deepest inventory in the active fleet.
35m to 39m: The strongest value band at the top end of family charter. Typical: 5 cabins, 10 guests, 6 to 9 crew. Most yachts have a small beach club, helipad on the larger end (touch-and-go only), proper tender garage. Skipped builds: any yacht 35m or above that does not have a tender garage. The 35m to 39m band is the sweet spot for clients who want service quality without the price-step up to the 40m-plus band.
40m to 44m: The first proper-service band. Crew goes to 8 to 10. Service rotation supports two distinct dinner sittings and at-anchor service patterns that match what guests expect at top-tier hotels ashore. Beach club opens out properly. Helipad in many cases. Most yachts in this band carry 12 guests.
45m to 49m: Real space, real crew, real cost. 9 to 12 crew, master suite typically 60 to 90 sqm. Beach club, jacuzzi on sun deck, gym, sometimes a cinema. Range opens to genuine ocean crossings. The all-in cost passes $300,000 per week. The 45m to 49m band is where most repeat charter clients settle once they have decided yacht charter is part of their travel pattern.
50m to 54m: The standard top-end charter yacht. 11 to 13 crew. Master at 100-plus sqm. Beach club, gym, cinema, full water sports inventory. Helicopter pad on most yachts (some certified for landing, most touch-and-go only). This is the band where service is consistently at the top of the hotel-comparable category. The 50m to 54m band has the most-discussed yachts in the charter market.
55m to 64m: Plus-spec layout, full helicopter operation. Master plus VIP plus four to six guest cabins. Often a stay-cabin for a nanny or governor or personal staff. Tender garage typically holds 2 to 3 tenders plus jet skis. Most charters in this band book by the same group that returns annually.
65m to 79m: Top of the active charter market. 18 to 24 crew. Beach club typically two decks. Gym, spa, hammam, cinema, sometimes a beauty room. Pool on main deck or sun deck. Master suite at 130 sqm or more. The charter rates pass $500,000 per week. Most 65m-plus yachts charter 8 to 14 weeks a year, with the rest of the calendar reserved for the owner's family.
80m and above: Bespoke product. Each yacht is structurally different. Some carry submarines, some carry rotary-wing aircraft (certified landing helipads), some carry observation tenders for marine biology programmes. Charter is by application; some owners decline charter entirely. Rates pass $700,000 and run to $2M-plus per week.
How the all-in math works
Take a 50m yacht with a $260,000 weekly base fee in French waters in the second week of August.
| Line item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Base fee | published rate | $260,000 |
| APA | 30% of base fee | $78,000 |
| VAT on base fee | 10% French charter VAT | $26,000 |
| Crew gratuity | 12% of base fee | $31,200 |
| All-in week total | $395,200 |
So a $260,000 published rate is a $395,200 outlay for the week. The 52 percent uplift from base fee to all-in is roughly the average across the Mediterranean charter fleet.
Itineraries with heavier cruising push APA higher. A peak Mediterranean week with two ocean crossings (Sardinia to Costa Smeralda to Italy to Croatia, for instance) can push APA to 38 to 42 percent because of fuel burn. Conservative itineraries (mostly at anchor in the same bay) bring APA to 22 to 26 percent.
Caribbean charters typically run lower VAT (zero in most jurisdictions) but similar APA. So Caribbean all-in is typically 42 to 48 percent uplift on base fee against Mediterranean's 50 to 55 percent.
Where the price breaks happen
Three breakpoints in the size ladder produce step-changes in cost and experience.
40 metres. Below 40m, service is good. Above 40m, service is at hotel-comparable top tier. The cost step from 38m to 42m is 30 to 50 percent on like-for-like comparisons.
55 metres. Below 55m, the yacht feels like a yacht. Above 55m, the yacht feels like a small floating estate. The cost step is meaningful, and the use case shifts from "charter as alternative to villa" to "charter as different product entirely."
70 metres. Above 70m, the yacht is a serious operation. Crew passes 20. The yacht's range opens to global cruising. Charter rates pass $500,000 per week. The buyer demographic narrows.
Money we tell clients not to spend
Three patterns we have seen produce regret.
Booking 45m when 38m is the right size for the guest group. Not every group needs the 45m platform. Two couples with two children each often charter at 38m perfectly well; the upgrade to 45m adds $80,000 to $130,000 a week with little use of the extra space.
Paying the new-build premium when the comparable 4-year-old yacht is available. New builds (under 2 years old) command 15 to 25 percent premium over yachts 4 to 6 years old with comparable specification. The premium is rarely justified for one charter week unless the new-build yacht has a specific feature (hybrid propulsion, owner-deck layout, particular interior designer) that matters to the client.
Booking a 50m motor yacht for a week of pure at-anchor use. The 50m is built to cruise. If the use case is genuinely at anchor in one bay for a week, a 35m to 40m yacht serves better and costs 40 to 50 percent less.
What we changed our minds on
Earlier versions of this page recommended clients in the 45m-to-50m band over the 40m-to-45m band as the standard recommendation. We have moved off that. The 40m to 45m band has improved significantly in service quality since 2022 and the cost gap to the 45m to 50m band has widened to 35 to 50 percent on comparable specifications. For most charter groups in the 8 to 12 guest range, the 40m to 45m yacht is the better trade in 2026.
FAQ
What is the difference between high season and low season pricing? Peak Mediterranean (16 June to 14 September) commands full rates. Shoulder Mediterranean (1 May to 15 June, 15 September to 31 October) runs 25 to 40 percent below peak. Peak Caribbean (20 December to 15 April) commands full rates with a 10 to 25 percent uplift for Christmas-New Year. Caribbean shoulder runs 20 to 30 percent below peak.
Does the charter rate include port fees and dockage? Dockage at most marinas is part of the APA spend, not the base fee. Monaco dockage in August can run $5,000 to $15,000 per night; Saint-Tropez peak runs $3,000 to $8,000. On some itineraries dockage alone consumes 30 to 50 percent of the APA budget.
Can I split a week with another family? Technically yes, the charter contract is with one named lead charterer. In practice, charter clients regularly split weeks across two families, with cost shared informally. The MYBA contract does not address this directly; the lead charterer remains responsible for the full contract.
Are there any all-inclusive yacht charters? A small number of charter operators (mostly in the Caribbean) offer all-inclusive pricing covering base fee, APA, and gratuity. The all-inclusive rate is typically 15 to 25 percent above the equivalent base-plus-APA-plus-gratuity total. Some clients prefer the price certainty; most clients find the variable APA model more efficient.
How does charter compare to renting a villa? A $200,000-a-week charter is roughly equivalent in cost to a $40,000-a-night top-tier villa with full staff. The villa is more space and more privacy for that money. The yacht is mobility, service intensity, and different destinations each day. The two products are not substitutes; they suit different trips.
Next steps
For destination-specific rate context, read Mediterranean charter weekly rates and Caribbean charter weekly rates. For the size-selection question, read How to choose charter yacht size. For the deeper cost view including ownership, read Yacht ownership annual costs.