How much does it cost to own a yacht per year?

At a glance


Rule of thumb	10–15% of purchase value a year (Fraser); 10–20% (Ocean Independence)
Example budgets	€40,000–€70,000 (20 m, owner-run) to €3–€6 million or more (50–70 m)
Largest line	Crew, once a professional crew is needed
Not in most budgets	Depreciation, financing, purchase taxes or duty
The one thing to ask	Three years of the yacht's actual running accounts

The rule of thumb, and its limits

Brokers often express the yearly cost of owning a yacht as a share of her value:

Fraser Yachts: 10–15% of purchase value a year.
Ocean Independence: 10–20% of value a year (2026 guide).
Edmiston: about 10% a year for upkeep, maintenance and fees (2020 article).

Use the percentage only as a rough cross-check. It is not a minimum, and it is not a substitute for the yacht's own accounts: crew and service costs do not fall just because a yacht's resale value does.

Published budgets by size

Brokers publish example budgets that count different things, so compare each one with its own inclusions.

Size and use	Yearly budget	Source
20 m, private, run by the owner	€40,000–€70,000	Breeze Yachting
30 m, private, with crew	€300,000–€500,000	Breeze Yachting
30 m, year one	US$670,000–$1.2 million	Ocean Independence
40 m, commercial (chartered)	€800,000–€1.2 million	Breeze Yachting
50 m, year one	US$2.3–$4.1 million as published	Ocean Independence
50–70 m, private or charter	€3–€6 million or more	Breeze Yachting
80 m, year one	US$5–$9 million	Ocean Independence

Where the money goes

Crew. Usually the largest line once a yacht needs a professional crew. Breeze puts crew at €180,000–€250,000 a year for a 30 m yacht and €1.5–€2.5 million for 50–70 m. See what a yacht crew costs.
Maintenance and repairs. Fraser puts routine maintenance at 5–10% of purchase value a year before unscheduled repairs, with a major refit every five to seven years.
Insurance. Fraser gives 0.5–2% of value a year.
Berthing. Depends entirely on where she is kept. Breeze budgets €30,000–€60,000 a year for a 30 m yacht in a Mediterranean port.
Fuel. Depends on how far she cruises. Breeze budgets €20,000–€40,000 for a privately used 30 m yacht; Ocean Independence's 30 m example uses US$80,000–$150,000.
Flag and registration. The Cayman Islands registry, for example, lists registration fees starting at US$1,750 and a minimum annual tonnage fee of US$600. These are the basic registry fees only, not the full cost of surveys and compliance.

What the budgets usually leave out

Check each budget's own lines before adding anything, so nothing is counted twice. Items often outside them:

Depreciation, the fall in resale value (worked out below).
VAT or import duty on the purchase. This depends on the transaction, where she is imported and how she is used, not on the flag alone.
Financing costs, management fees, and the provisions for your own trips.

Illustration: a 30 m yacht bought for US$5 million

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.

Line, averaged over five years	Per year
Running costs at 10–15% of the price	US$500,000–$750,000
Depreciation: US$1.49–$1.78 million over five years	US$297,000–$355,000
Illustrative yearly cost	about US$800,000–$1.1 million

This is before financing, purchase taxes and any refit beyond routine maintenance. It is a planning illustration, not a forecast of resale value.

What to ask your broker

What did this yacht actually cost to run in each of the last three years, line by line?
How many crew does she need, and are they staying with the sale?
When was the last major refit, and what is due in the next five years?
Is she registered for charter, and what did charter earn after its own costs?
What berth comes with her, and on what terms?
How would purchase taxes or import duty apply to me, and who should advise on that?

When this is not the right choice

You will use a yacht for a few weeks a year. Compare the full yearly cost of owning with the cost of chartering the same weeks. See is it cheaper to charter or buy?
You want to cruise a different region each year. Charter lets you change yacht and place each season.

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

What is the 10% rule for yacht ownership?

A broker rule of thumb that a yacht costs about 10% of her value each year to run. Fraser Yachts gives 10–15% and Ocean Independence 10–20%. It leaves out depreciation, financing and purchase taxes, and it is a rough cross-check, not a minimum or a budget.

What is the biggest cost of owning a yacht?

Once a yacht needs a professional crew, crew is usually the largest yearly line. Breeze Yachting puts crew at €180,000–€250,000 a year for a 30 m yacht and €1.5–€2.5 million for 50–70 m.

How much does a yacht depreciate?

Ocean Independence estimates about 10% in the first year and 6–8% a year after that. Compounded, that is a loss of about 30–35% over five years. Condition, refit history, builder and demand all move it, so ask a broker for comparable sales.

Does chartering my yacht out cover the running costs?

It can cover part of them, and how much depends on the weeks booked, the rate and the extra costs of charter use. See our guide on whether chartering out can cover running costs.