How much does a catamaran cost?

The short version.

The cruising catamaran market spans roughly €150,000 to €4,000,000+ for production boats, with the practical sweet spot for most buyers between €280,000 and €950,000. Six variables drive almost all of the price differential: length, brand, layout, year, country, and condition. Below, each one is broken down with real 2026 numbers.

Pricing by length.

Length is the single largest price determinant. Catamaran prices scale roughly exponentially with length — a 45-foot catamaran is not 12% more expensive than a 40-foot, it is closer to 50% more expensive. The reason is volume: catamaran interior volume scales with length cubed, so a 50-footer has roughly 95% more usable interior volume than a 40-footer. Pricing reflects that.

The practical implication: every 5 feet of additional length roughly doubles the budget at the upper end of the market. The 38-42 foot bracket is where the catamaran market opens up to first-time buyers. The 43-48 foot bracket is where most cruising couples end up. The 49-55 foot bracket is where families and serious cruisers play. Above 56 feet, you are looking at either professional-crew territory or genuine luxury budgets.

Pricing by brand.

Within any given length bracket, brand drives the next 15 to 30 percent of price differential. The catamaran market clusters into three pricing tiers: volume production, premium production, and performance / luxury.

Volume production: Lagoon, Bali, Leopard

The volume tier is where most catamarans get built and sold. Lagoon dominates by share, with roughly 60 percent of the production cruising catamaran market by volume. Bali (built by Catana) and Leopard (built by Robertson and Caine) round out the tier. Pricing in this segment is the most competitive, with the largest used inventory and the deepest service network.

Used 5-year-old 45-footer in this tier: €450,000 to €600,000 charter version, €550,000 to €700,000 owner version. New 45-footer: €820,000 to €1,050,000 base, €950,000 to €1,200,000 typical equipment package.

Premium production: Fountaine Pajot, Nautitech, Excess

Premium production catamarans typically command a 5 to 15 percent price premium over volume-tier equivalents at similar age and length. Fountaine Pajot is the largest brand in this tier, competing directly with Lagoon on volume but positioned slightly upmarket on finish and sailing performance. Nautitech and Excess (Beneteau Group's sport-oriented Lagoon sister) are smaller-volume alternatives.

Used 5-year-old 45-footer in this tier: €500,000 to €680,000 charter version, €620,000 to €780,000 owner version. New 45-footer: €900,000 to €1,150,000 base, €1,050,000 to €1,300,000 typical equipment package.

Performance and luxury: Catana, Outremer, HH, Sunreef, Privilege

The performance and luxury tier represents a meaningful step up in both pricing and capability. Catana and Outremer are performance-oriented French builders favoured by serious cruisers and ocean voyagers. HH Catamarans builds carbon-reinforced performance cruisers. Sunreef builds luxury production and semi-custom catamarans, both sailing and power. Privilege is the heritage premium brand. Pricing in this tier typically runs 30 to 60 percent above volume-tier equivalents at similar length.

Used 5-year-old 50-footer in this tier: €900,000 to €1,400,000. New 50-footer: €1,500,000 to €2,800,000 depending on builder and specification.

Layout: owner version vs charter version.

Most production catamarans are offered in two layouts: the 3-cabin owner version and the 4-cabin charter version. The layout decision is the single largest controllable price variable in any catamaran purchase. Owner-version boats trade at a 12 to 20 percent premium over charter-version equivalents at the same length, year, and condition.

The premium reflects three things: scarcity (charter versions outnumber owner versions on the resale market by roughly 3 to 1 for most brands), use case (owner versions are usually privately maintained while charter versions have heavier wear), and resale liquidity (owner versions sell to a broader pool of private buyers while charter versions skew toward charter operators and value buyers). Whether the premium is worth paying depends on how you intend to use the boat.

Same boat, two versions, real numbers: A 2020 Lagoon 46 in charter version typically lists at €680,000 to €790,000. The same boat in owner version lists at €760,000 to €890,000. The €80,000 to €100,000 differential is consistent across the volume-production tier — Lagoon, Fountaine Pajot, Bali, Leopard all show similar layout pricing structures.

For deeper coverage of the layout decision, see our charter version vs owner version guide.

Age and condition.

Catamaran depreciation is non-linear. The first three to five years of ownership see the steepest drop — typically 25 to 35 percent off the new-build price. Years five through ten lose another 15 to 25 percent. Beyond ten years, depreciation slows substantially, and well-maintained boats can hold value almost indefinitely. The economically rational buying window for most cruising catamarans is the 5-to-10-year-old segment, where the steepest depreciation has already happened but mechanical and cosmetic condition is still good.

These are rough percentages — individual boat condition, equipment level, and charter-vs-owner history all create meaningful variation within each band. A meticulously maintained 12-year-old owner-version Lagoon 450 can sell for more than a beat-up 7-year-old charter-version equivalent.

Country of sale.

Where a catamaran is listed affects the price meaningfully. The same model and year can vary by 15 to 20 percent across the five major Mediterranean catamaran markets, driven by local market dynamics, charter-fleet exposure, and tax regime.

The pricing differentials are real but should not be treated as a pure arbitrage opportunity. Italian inventory typically prices higher because the boats are better — more equipment, less charter wear, more meticulous maintenance. Croatian and Greek inventory prices lower because the boats are more charter-worn with higher remediation needs. Once you adjust for condition, the country-of-sale differential narrows substantially. The buyer who shops only by country and ignores condition typically ends up overpaying for the bargain.

Sailing vs power catamarans.

Power catamarans cost meaningfully more than sailing catamarans of equivalent length. The premium typically runs 15 to 25 percent on new-build prices and 10 to 20 percent on the resale market. The reasons are straightforward: more horsepower, more complex mechanical systems, more sophisticated electronics, and a smaller production volume that doesn't deliver the per-unit cost reductions of high-volume sailing models.

Real example: A new Lagoon 46 sailing catamaran starts at approximately €850,000 base specification. The new Lagoon 46 Power (introduced 2025) starts at approximately €1,050,000 — roughly 25 percent more for similar length. Larger power cats show the same premium. A new Sunreef 60 sailing catamaran is approximately €3.2 million; a Sunreef 60 Power is approximately €3.9 million.

Running costs follow a similar pattern. Power catamarans consume meaningfully more fuel — a 50-foot power cat at cruising speed burns 30 to 50 litres per hour versus 8 to 12 litres per hour for a sailing equivalent under engine. Over a typical 200 hours of annual use, that's €4,000 to €8,000 more in fuel. Maintenance costs scale similarly — more horsepower means larger service intervals, more parts wear, and more complex troubleshooting when systems fail.

New vs used.

The new-build catamaran market and the used catamaran market behave like two different markets despite being the same product category. New-build pricing has risen 25 to 40 percent since 2020 driven by materials inflation, rising labour costs, and base-specification creep. Used pricing has not risen at the same rate — the used market reflects supply and demand for existing inventory, which is decoupled from new-build economics.

The arbitrage: A 5-year-old Lagoon 46 typically lists at €600,000 to €750,000. A new equivalent costs €850,000 to €1,100,000. The used boat is 30 to 35 percent cheaper than the new boat, has had its initial depreciation absorbed by the previous owner, comes with established service history and known systems, and is available immediately rather than on a 12 to 24-month build wait. For most buyers, the used market is the economically rational choice.

When new makes sense: If you want the latest specifications (electronics integration, current engine generations, refined hull and rig developments), if you want manufacturer warranty coverage on systems and structure, if you have specific layout or equipment preferences not commonly found on the used market, or if you simply prefer the experience and provenance of a new boat. New-build is also a viable choice if your time horizon is 10+ years and you intend to hold the boat through depreciation rather than trade frequently.

Beyond the headline price.

The catamaran's sticker price is not the catamaran's actual cost. Budget 6 to 10 percent of purchase price in transaction costs, plus any post-purchase remediation, plus any equipment upgrades, plus the first year of running costs.

Transaction costs (6 to 10 percent of price)

• VAT or transfer tax: 0 to 25 percent depending on country and circumstance. EU VAT-paid private resales typically have no further VAT. New boats and commercial sales attract full VAT at the local rate (20-25%).
• Survey: 0.3 to 0.8 percent of value, plus haul-out fees of €500 to €1,800.
• Sea trial: €400 to €1,200 for fuel, berth, and crew time.
• Legal fees: €1,000 to €4,000 for due diligence, contract review, registration transfer.
• Registration and flag-change paperwork: €500 to €4,000 depending on flag and complexity.
• Buyer's broker fees: typically zero (paid via co-brokerage from listing broker's commission).

Post-purchase remediation

On private-owner inventory in good condition, remediation is typically minimal — €5,000 to €15,000 for catch-up servicing and minor cosmetic work. On ex-charter inventory or older boats, remediation budgets routinely run €25,000 to €70,000 for engines, sails, electronics, and cosmetic refresh. Always identify the realistic remediation cost during survey and price it into your offer.

First-year running costs

• Marina berth: €5,000 to €15,000 annually for a 45-footer in the Mediterranean. Catamaran berths cost 60 to 100 percent more than monohull berths of equivalent length.
• Insurance: typically 0.8 to 1.5 percent of insured value annually.
• Maintenance and routine services: €8,000 to €18,000 annually for a 45-footer with normal cruising use.
• Annual haul-out, antifoul, and bottom job: €2,500 to €5,500.
• Fuel: highly use-dependent — €1,500 to €5,000 for typical Mediterranean cruising.
• Depreciation: 5 to 8 percent annually for boats in the 5 to 10-year age bracket.

Depreciation curves and resale value.

Cruising catamarans depreciate more slowly than monohulls of equivalent price and significantly more slowly than motor yachts. A typical Lagoon or Fountaine Pajot retains 60 to 75 percent of original value at 5 years, 45 to 55 percent at 10 years, and 30 to 40 percent at 15 years. Beyond 15 years, depreciation flattens almost completely — well-maintained boats can hold value indefinitely once they reach "classic used" status.

Performance brands depreciate even more slowly. A Catana or Outremer at 10 years typically retains 55 to 65 percent of original value; at 15 years, 45 to 55 percent. Sunreef and HH Catamarans are still relatively young as resale markets but show similar patterns where data exists.

Charter-version catamarans depreciate faster than owner-version equivalents — typically 5 to 10 percentage points faster at every age band. Ex-charter boats hitting the secondary market at year 5 to 7 are often priced at 50 to 60 percent of new-build cost despite being well-equipped, because the charter-version resale pool is smaller and more value-sensitive.

What this means for buyers: The depreciation profile of a cruising catamaran is reasonably benign by yacht standards. A buyer who purchases a 5-year-old Lagoon 46 owner version for €700,000, owns it for 5 years, and resells at year 10 should expect to net approximately €450,000 to €550,000 — total depreciation of €150,000 to €250,000 over 5 years of ownership, or €30,000 to €50,000 per year. For a boat that delivered 25 weeks of cruising annually, that depreciation cost works out to roughly €1,200 to €2,000 per cruising week. Whether that is reasonable depends on the alternative.

Frequently asked questions.