Yacht charter prices confuse everyone at first, because the weekly rate is only the start. The advertised fee covers the boat, the crew, and the toys. Everything else stacks on top: APA, tax, gratuity.
A rough map of the market: small crewed catamarans run about $10,000-20,000 a week. Mid-size motor yachts sit in the $30,000-100,000 band. True superyachts start near $250,000 a week and climb past a million in peak season.
Two add-ons matter most. APA, the advance provisioning allowance, runs 25-35% of the base fee on motor yachts and covers fuel, food, and dockage. Then tax: VAT in the Med ranges 5-24% by country, while the Caribbean mostly skips VAT and charges small local permits instead.
Sources: FX Yachting, Windward Yachts
Rule of thumb: budget 35-50% over the quoted rate, and the rate sheet stops lying to you.