Is it cheaper to charter or buy a yacht?

At a glance


Owning	Running costs of roughly 10–20% of value a year, plus depreciation
Chartering	Costs only for the weeks you use: the weekly rate plus APA, tax and gratuity
Break-even	No universal number of weeks; it depends on the yacht, the region and the dates
How to compare	One yacht's full yearly cost against like-for-like charter quotes
The one thing to ask	What the same weeks would cost to charter on a similar yacht

What owning costs each year

Running costs. Fraser Yachts puts these at 10–15% of purchase value a year; Ocean Independence at 10–20%. Published budgets range from €300,000–€500,000 for a privately used 30 m yacht (Breeze Yachting) to US$670,000–$1.2 million in year one (Ocean Independence). See what it costs to run a 30 m yacht.
Depreciation. Ocean Independence estimates about 10% in the first year and 6–8% a year after. A fall of 10% in year one, then 6–8% a year of the remaining value for four years, works out as 0.90 × 0.94⁴ to 0.90 × 0.92⁴ of the price: a loss of about 29.7% to 35.5% over five years.
Also to count: purchase taxes or duty, financing or the return your money could earn elsewhere, buying and selling fees, and a reserve for refits. Check each budget's own lines first so nothing is counted twice.
Owner use costs more. Fuel, provisions and berthing rise with each week you are aboard, on top of the fixed yearly costs.

What chartering costs per week

Published weekly base rates, before APA, tax and gratuity:

Yacht	Weekly base rate	Source
Mediterranean motor yacht, 20–30 m	€23,000–€68,000	Our Charter Price Index (2 listings)
Mediterranean motor yacht, 30–45 m	€90,000–€148,000	Our Charter Price Index (2 listings)
Under 30 m, average listing	about €40,000	BOAT International, 2022

On top of the rate come the APA, tax where it applies, and the gratuity. Ocean Independence says these extras typically add 30–55%. See what APA is.

Illustration: what a year of owning would buy in charter weeks

Charter yacht	Illustrative charter week with extras	Weeks the same money would buy
Mediterranean 20–30 m	about €29,900–€105,400	about 7 to 33
Mediterranean 30–45 m	about €117,000–€229,400	about 3 to 9

Method: the illustrative yearly cost of owning divided by one charter week with extras. This table compares spending across yacht bands that are not like for like. It is not a break-even: a true comparison uses the same yacht specification, crew, region and dates, and subtracts the extra costs of each week of owner use.

Can chartering your own yacht close the gap?

Some owners charter their yacht to offset costs. That needs the right registration and approvals, pays commission to the charter broker, adds crew, wear and compliance costs, and uses the weeks you might want yourself, often the best summer weeks. How much it offsets depends on the weeks booked and the rate. See can chartering out cover running costs?

Reasons to buy anyway

You will spend many weeks a year aboard.
You want the same crew, and the yacht set up as you like it.
You want to go where and when you like, at short notice.
You enjoy the yacht itself: the refits, the yard, the project.

Reasons to charter

You use a yacht for a few weeks a year.
You want a different region or size each year.
You do not want to manage crew, registration, insurance, refits and resale.
You want to try a size before you buy one.

What to ask your broker

What did this yacht cost to run in each of the last three years, including refits?
What have comparable yachts sold for after five years?
If I charter her out, how many weeks did she do, at what rate, and what did charter cost?
How would purchase taxes apply to me, and who should advise on that?
What would the same weeks cost to charter on a similar yacht, all costs included?

When this is not the right choice

Buying, if your weeks aboard are few. The fixed costs run all year whether you use her or not.
Chartering, if you need certainty. Peak weeks on popular yachts can book early, and the yacht you want may not be free.

Talking to a broker

If you are weighing up a purchase, one of our partner yacht sales brokers can go through real listings and real running accounts with you. You can send an enquiry or try the ownership cost calculator first.

Questions people ask

How many weeks a year do you need to use a yacht to make buying worth it?

There is no universal number. Compare one specific yacht's full yearly cost of owning, including depreciation, with like-for-like charter quotes for the same weeks and region, and remember that each week aboard your own yacht adds fuel and provisions.

Does chartering out my yacht make owning cheaper than charter?

It narrows the gap by an amount that depends on the weeks booked, the rate and the extra costs of charter use. It also takes weeks you might want for yourself.

How much does a yacht lose in value?

Ocean Independence estimates about 10% in the first year and 6–8% a year after. Compounded, that is a loss of about 30–35% over five years. On a US$5 million yacht, about US$1.49–$1.78 million over five years.

Should I charter before buying a yacht?

Chartering a yacht of the size you are considering can help clarify how much space and crew you need, and how many weeks you would really use her.