Catamaran prices in 2025: How to find your way around? Categories and tips

Summary

By 2025, catamarans will be segmented into two broad, more or less permeable categories: family cruising models optimize coastal comfort, performance units target offshore efficiency, while luxury and eco-responsible variants aim for exclusivity or sustainability.

Standard prices, exclusive of tax, start at €350,000 for a small, normally-equipped boat, range from €450,000 to €1,000,000 for larger boats, and top the million mark for the very well-equipped top of the range, reaching several million for the luxury version.

Europe charges high prices for premium quality, while Asia - led by Thailand and China - capitalizes on low-cost labor. This guide dissects the figures and trends to help you make informed decisions.

In recent years, catamarans have confirmed their supremacy over monohulls, thanks to their structural stability, increased living space and unrivalled versatility. They attract both families in search of convenience and speed-obsessed sailors, in an expanding market boosted by a varied offering.

This dossier analyzes their categories, deciphers their prices - often ex-VAT - and identifies the economic levers that shape their costs.

GR 63 Full electric, Gilles Reigner E-Yachting

These catamarans, ranging in size from 40 to 65 feet, feature generous cabins, fully-equipped galleys and outdoor lounges. Their stability and ease of handling make them ideal for coastal escapades or extended stays. But their high weight, coupled with a sail area often reduced to accommodate a flybridge, limits their sailing performance. Windage, which is noticeable when maneuvering in port, is partially corrected by advanced systems.

Their DNA? Accessible pleasure boating, which explains their dominance among rental companies and production lines.

Examples: Lagoon, Bali.

Tip: the most accessible category, ideal for coastal cruising, widely used for long-distance cruising despite a lack of optimization.

Designed for demanding sailors, these models (44-60 feet) feature slender carbon or basalt hulls and sails optimized to excel on the high seas. Their design sacrifices a little comfort for speed, ideal for fast crossings or informal competitions. On board, there's no pared-down style: volumes are tighter but finishes are nickel-plated, with discreet luxury. Gone are the flybridges, replaced by sleek exteriors to boost the sails and give quick access to the controls. These boats are cut out for transatlantic voyages.

Examples: Ultramarine, Balance.

Tip: more expensive, but capable of taking on the open seas in complete serenity, with remarkable performance. Boats designed for this purpose, but also capable of coastal sailing.

Luxury These units (>60 feet, up to 80+) embody opulence with sophisticated amenities, transforming cruising into a five-star experience.

Examples: Sunreef, Gilles Reigner E-yachting. 

Eco-responsible The growing number of catamarans (50-55 feet) featuring electric propulsion, solar panels and recycled materials, combining durability and performance, often in a technical vein. By definition, they are lightweight, high-performance sailing boats.

Examples: Windelo, Andaman Sails.

As you can see, for two boats of the same size, the category to which they belong can make the price vary from simple to double.

Note that the approach varies from one manufacturer to another, but here's how the prices break down.

Standard prices are usually exclusive of tax, and include a composite hull, a basic sail plan (usually a headsail and mainsail), modest engines and standard fittings.

But they frequently omit critical equipment - navigation (instruments), safety - inflating the real budget for a seaworthy boat.

This practice enables building sites to maintain an attractive entry-level price, while their margins are then built up on the various options you add, in the knowledge that some are unavoidable.

The price of a seaworthy version can increase by 10-30%, depending on what the standard version of the unit contains.

Tip: to keep the bill under control, boat shows and comparative quotes are a must. Beware: VAT - 20% in France, for example - is added to the final price, a parameter to be taken into account from the outset.

Another thing to bear in mind is that, depending on the place of manufacture, you may have to repatriate your unit, which is no easy task these days...

Category: Family boats are still affordable, because they're mass-produced. High-performance boats, on the other hand, are much more expensive, with more costly materials and a more artisanal approach to construction.

Size: More feet, more materials and labor - a logical equation.

Materials: Fiberglass is inexpensive, but other materials with superior properties, such as basalt and carbon, are obviously more expensive. Electric motors also cost more to buy.

- Read our article on materials -

Options: Luxury finishes and equipment also drive up prices, depending on the captain's needs and desires.

Demand: Strong pressure or artisanal deadlines drive prices up. This effect diminished as the market lost momentum in 2024.

Location: expensive Europe (VAT 20%), more competitive Asia and South Africa with lower labor costs.

Transport: A shipyard far from the navigation zone adds to the logistical costs of repatriating the vessel.

In recent years, inflation has taken its toll on the sector, with rising raw materials costs (resin, carbon), disrupted supply chains and unstable exchange rates driving up costs. In 2025, this pressure will persist, making customized quotations essential for reliable estimates.

France: Technical leader with Lagoon, Outremer, Catana, Windelo, etc... superior quality at premium prices.

South Africa: Combining expertise and controlled costs (Balance).

China: HH Catamarans excels in mass production, offering affordable top-of-the-range.

Thailand: Andaman Sails combines French know-how and competitive prices.

In 2025, the catamaran industry is entering an era of innovation: hybrid propulsion, autonomous energy management and modular assembly are redefining standards. Faced with global competition, manufacturers are refining their processes to meet the most demanding technical requirements.

For buyers, this opens up a world of possibilities - more efficient, more adaptable units - but requires vigilance: assessing technological advances and their durability becomes just as decisive as choosing the right model.

Note: This table is intended as a guide only, and positions manufacturers by price range. Please contact each boatyard to find your ideal boat.

These categories are indicative only and may vary according to each manufacturer's models. 

Asterisk () : Electric propulsion or green technologies*.