Turns out that owning a sailboat is pretty affordable. OK, it isn't cheap, but it can absolutely be done on a budget. In this article, I'll show you exactly what to expect. Sure, super yachts are expensive, but so is everything super (except for maybe supermarkets). But a modest, used sailboat can be as cheap as $2,500 and an additional $1,400 per year. It may come as a surprise to you that you can get a decent sailboat for as little as $1,500 on Craigslist. Average sailboat costs at a glance We've compared thousands of listings, so you don't have to. If you just want the ballpark figures, here they are: Situation One-Time Cost Monthly Cost Average sailboat for most people (26') $25,000 $470 Low budget project (22') $2,500 $115 Budget ocean cruiser (35') $38,000 $450 Best-value ocean cruiser (40') $166,000 $1,300 The average price of new sailboats is $425,000 ($127,000 to $821,000). The average price of used sailboats is $278,000 ($67,000 to $555,000). Maintenance costs are on average $2,000 - $3,000 per year, and the average total annual cost is $3,000 to $7,000. Of course the price of a sailboat depends on our choices. We decide whether sailing is a rich man's game, or actually a very good holiday investment. (It beats driving to a bungalow park for sure - both cost-wise and the experience itself.) WHAT WILL YOUR DREAM BOAT COST? Take the test (article: /cost/cost-of-chartering-a-superyacht) Why you should trust us These figures are based on our latest research which was last updated September 26th 2023. We do this research every year, giving us very accurate numbers and clear insight into the trend of sailboat prices. We've literally compared thousands of sailboat listings over the years, and we've done so methodically. The research is done by our researcher Tay, who is an engineer by trade.