How Much Does It Cost to Charter a Yacht? (2026)
Updated 2026. Rates vary widely by yacht size, season and destination; figures are typical ranges.
What you actually pay for
Charter pricing has two layers: the base rate (the boat and, on crewed charters, its crew) and the running costs on top — fuel, food, dockage, taxes and gratuity. Bareboat charters bundle almost everything into one rate; crewed and superyacht charters quote a base rate and add the rest separately, which is why the advertised price and the final bill differ.
Typical weekly charter rates
| Charter type | Typical weekly rate |
|---|---|
| Bareboat monohull (32–50ft) | €1,200–€6,000 |
| Bareboat catamaran | €3,500–€8,000+ |
| Skippered | ~€6,000–€22,000 |
| Fully crewed | €15,000–€100,000+ |
| Superyacht (30m+) | €100,000–€300,000+ |
| Mega-yacht (60m+) | $1,000,000+/week |
Low-season rates run about 30–38% below peak, and shoulder season 15–25% below — timing is one of the biggest levers on price.
The add-ons on crewed charters
| Cost | Typical amount |
|---|---|
| APA (fuel, food, dockage) — sailing yacht | 25–35% of base rate |
| APA — motor yacht | 30–40% of base rate |
| Crew gratuity | 5–10% (Med) / 15–20% (Caribbean) |
| VAT / local tax | Varies widely — 22% Italy, 21% Spain, 20% France, 13% Croatia, 0% Montenegro, generally none in the Caribbean |
A useful rule of thumb: on a plus-expenses crewed charter, plan for roughly 50% on top of the base rate once APA, gratuity and taxes are added.
Knowing the price is only half of it. The contract you sign decides whether that price is protected. See the best way to book a yacht charter — the MYBA agreement, the Stakeholder account your deposit should be paid into, and the difference between dates that are “available” and dates that are actually held.
How to charter for less
The cheapest way onto the water is a bareboat charter in shoulder or low season, split among a full crew of guests — that can bring the per-person cost down to a few hundred a head. Going crewed, the Mediterranean carries lower typical gratuity than the Caribbean, and booking outside peak weeks avoids the biggest markups. The single largest lever, though, is the cruising ground: the same yacht in Italy carries 22% VAT and in the Caribbean generally carries none.
See the real price before you book
The frustrating part of chartering is that the advertised rate rarely matches the final bill. On ZipYacht, availability, captain and full pricing are confirmed before you commit — and owners can list their own boats — so you compare real all-in numbers instead of base rates with surprises attached.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to charter a yacht for a week?
Roughly €1,200–€8,000 for a bareboat charter you skipper yourself, €15,000–€100,000+ for a fully crewed yacht, and €100,000–€300,000+ for a superyacht, with mega-yachts over $1,000,000 a week. Crewed charters add APA, gratuity and taxes on top.
What is APA and how much is it?
APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance) is a pre-paid fund for running costs like fuel, food and dockage on crewed charters. It is typically 25–35% of the base rate for sailing yachts and 30–40% for motor yachts.
Do you tip yacht crew, and how much?
Yes, on crewed charters. Gratuity is typically 5–10% of the base rate in the Mediterranean and 15–20% in the Caribbean; the MYBA guideline is 5–15%.
What is the cheapest way to charter a yacht?
A bareboat (self-skippered) charter in shoulder or low season is cheapest — low-season rates run 30–38% below peak — and splitting a larger boat among guests sharply lowers the per-person cost.
How much deposit do you pay to book a yacht charter?
There is no fixed percentage. The MYBA Charter Agreement leaves instalment amounts and dates as blank fields completed per deal on Page One, so common practice ranges from 50% on signing with the balance 30 days out to an initial 25% deposit. Get it in writing before you pay — see how to book a charter properly.