Ask a yacht broker what a 60-foot yacht costs and you'll get an answer calibrated to keep you in the conversation, not to inform your decision. "It depends" — on the builder, the age, the condition, the equipment, the moon phase. All true, and all strategically vague.
So let's be specific. In 2026, here's what the 60-foot segment — the sweet spot where serious yachting begins — actually costs.
New Build Prices
A new 60-foot motor yacht from a production builder (Princess, Sunseeker, Azimut, Ferretti) starts around $3.5 million and climbs quickly. The base price is a fiction — by the time you've specified the upgraded engines, the Seakeeper gyro stabilizer ($80,000–$120,000 installed), the premium electronics package, and the interior upgrades that make the standard spec sheet livable, you're at $4.2–$5 million.
Semi-custom builders (Vicem, Zeelander, Contest) start higher — $5–$7 million — but include more in the base and hold value better. Full custom at 60 feet is rare (most custom starts at 80+), but when it happens, budget $8 million+ and two years of your life managing the build.
Sailing yachts run 20–30% less than equivalent motor yachts. A new 60-foot bluewater cruiser from Hallberg-Rassy, Oyster, or Amel lands at $2.5–$3.5 million well-equipped. The sailing market is smaller, more knowledgeable, and less prone to the option-sheet games of the motor yacht world.
Brokerage: Where the Smart Money Shops
Here's what brokers won't emphasize: a three-year-old 60-footer in excellent condition sells for 55–65% of its original equipped price. That $4.5 million Princess V60 from 2023? It's listed at $2.7 million today, and it'll sell at $2.5 million.
The depreciation curve is steepest in years 1–3, then flattens. A well-maintained 8-year-old 60-footer from a quality builder holds remarkably steady — the boat has found its "real" price, and subsequent depreciation is slow. This is why experienced buyers target the 3–5 year window: someone else ate the steepest depreciation, and you're buying a modern boat with modern systems.
Current brokerage ranges for 60-foot motor yachts in good condition:
- 1–3 years old: $2.5–$4 million
- 4–7 years old: $1.8–$2.8 million
- 8–12 years old: $1.2–$2 million
- 12+ years: $800,000–$1.5 million (condition is everything here)
The Number Nobody Quotes: Annual Operating Cost
The purchase price is the admission ticket. The real cost is annual operation, and the industry rule of thumb — 10% of the yacht's value per year — is depressingly accurate for the 60-foot class.
On a $2.5 million brokerage purchase, budget $250,000/year:
- Berthing: $30,000–$60,000 (Mediterranean marinas run higher; a prime Côte d'Azur berth can exceed $100,000/season)
- Crew: $80,000–$120,000 (a 60-footer typically needs a captain and a steward/deckhand; the captain alone runs $60,000–$90,000)
- Fuel: $30,000–$50,000 (at 60 feet with twin diesels burning 40–60 gallons/hour at cruise, a busy season adds up fast)
- Maintenance and refit reserve: $40,000–$60,000 (engines, generators, paint, systems — the reserve is not optional)
- Insurance: $15,000–$25,000 (roughly 0.8–1.2% of hull value annually)
A boat is a hole in the water into which you throw money." — The old saying is unfair to well-bought yachts, but the math underneath it is real. Budget honestly or don't buy.
The Charter Offset (and Its Limits)
Many buyers plan to offset costs through charter. A 60-foot motor yacht in the Med charters at $25,000–$45,000/week in high season. Ten weeks of charter grosses $300,000+ — enough to cover the annual budget on paper.
In practice: charter management takes 15–20%, the boat takes more wear, your personal use is restricted to shoulder seasons, and ten weeks of bookings requires an active charter agent and a well-known boat. Most owners who charter net enough to cover 40–60% of annual costs, not 100%. It's a subsidy, not a business.
The Bottom Line
A 60-foot yacht is a $2.5–$5 million purchase carrying $200,000–$300,000 in annual costs. It's one of the great discretionary expenditures available to the affluent — and, bought right in the brokerage market with eyes open on operating costs, one of the most rewarding. Just don't let anyone tell you "it depends" when you ask what it costs. Now you know.