Luxury Yacht Living Cheaper Than A House? (full tour & monthly costs)

We’re stepping into the motor yacht world today with a deep dive into what living aboard a luxury yacht like this looks like. We chat about polarization between sailors and motor boaters, maintenance, running costs, and even dockage fees.

Nikki Wynn

Oct 23, 2022 — 2 min read

Living on a yacht can sound like a lot of things. And to us, it always sounded bonkers expensive. A pipe dream. But the reality is there is a boat for every budget. Chances are, you can take whatever your cost of living is now and move onto a boat for the same price. Or maybe even a lot less.

Seriously. We’ve maintained the same general budget for the last 10 years. From a condo in Downtown Dallas Texas to road trippers in a 33ft motor home to liveaboard cruisers on a 44ft sailing catamaran.

Another case in point is our friends Rico and Victoria (the couple in the photo with us). They lived in Los Angeles California on a power yacht that cost under $200k. I’m pretty sure you can’t get a parking space in LA for under $200k.

And so today, we’re stepping into the Motor Yacht world. Which honestly isn’t a type of boating we have ever considered or spent a lot of time exploring. Because for us, we want to travel around the world, and it just makes more sense (efficiency, redundancy, safety, etc.) to have a sailboat.

But not everyone is looking to sail around the world. Power boats make a lot of sense for coastal cruisers, river cruising, ice breakers, or as a liveaboard in a home port.

Rico and Victoria have invited us into their world to tour a 66’ Hampton Yacht. It’s a deep dive into what living aboard a luxury yacht like this looks like. We chat about polarization between sailors and motor boaters, maintenance, running costs, fuel prices, and even dockage fees.

So, what did you think? Are you a power boater, a sailor, or just a lover of all things nautical? We’re suckers for any home that travels. And while we won’t be giving up our sails anytime soon, we certainly see the appeal. If we had a job that kept us tied to a dock most days, I could see us opting for a vintage tug boat. I have always wanted to renovate one and who doesn’t love an old tugboat!?

This beauty operates as an expedition cruise in Alaska. Perhaps in our next life?