A marina berth for a 10 m boat costs between €50 and €175 a night in high season and €20 to €90 in winter in Mediterranean European ports. An annual contract for that length ranges from about €2,500 in a simple municipal harbour to more than €12,000 in a luxury marina. A buoy in a regulated mooring field costs around €45 – 75 a night in summer.
These are indicative ranges in euros, VAT included, calculated from 2026 rates published by ports in France, Spain and Italy, plus figures from Croatia. In other regions, and depending on the port and season, prices can be very different.
Boat mooring cost in 2026: summary
The table above shows three ways of paying for a berth. The first price column is the visitor rate per night in July and August, which is what you pay when you are passing through. The second is the off-season night. The last is the annual contract, which is what an owner pays to keep the boat permanently in one port.
The low end of each range reflects municipal or publicly run harbours in less touristy areas. The high end reflects private marinas in destinations in heavy demand. These are some real 2026 rates for a boat of about 10 m, all VAT included:
- Marseillan (Languedoc, France): about €56 a night in July and August, €22 in winter and about €2,460 for an annual contract, tourist tax included.
- Marina de Bonaire (Alcúdia, Mallorca): €52 a night in high season, about €38 in low season, €820 for a summer month and about €5,890 a year. Electricity is charged separately.
- Cala'n Bosch (Menorca): charges per square metre of berth, €2.70/m² a day from June to September. On a 10 × 3.5 m berth that is about €95 a night in summer, €24 in winter and about €5,100 a year.
- Marina dei Presidi (Porto Ercole, Tuscany): €125 a night in July and August, €65 in low season and about €12,400 for an annual contract.
- Capri (Italy): €175 a night in high season and €90 in low season, with water and electricity billed by consumption.
In Croatia, marinas in Split charge roughly €83 to €130 a night for a typical charter yacht. Buoy fields in central Dalmatia cost €45 to €75.
What the mooring fee includes
What you pay for is the right to occupy a berth for a period of time. In almost every port it includes:
- The berth itself, with a laid mooring line or a finger pontoon, and the pontoon fenders.
- Access to pontoons and shared areas, with security, often 24 hours a day.
- Toilets, showers and waste collection, including used oil and bilge water in ports with a recycling point.
- Marina wifi in many cases.
What varies most from port to port:
- Electricity. Some include it, others charge by meter or as a surcharge. Marina de Bonaire, for instance, adds 25 % to the supplier's rate, while Capri bills by consumption.
- Water. Often included for visitors and metered on long contracts.
- Taxes. Tourist tax, stay tax or state port dues, which some ports add on top.
- Parking, berthing assistance, onboard rubbish collection or black-water pump-out.
- Mandatory insurance. Almost every port requires valid third-party liability insurance before giving you a berth.
Factors that change the price
Length and beam
This is the main factor. Ports charge by length band, per linear metre or per square metre (length times beam). Going from 10 to 15 m usually doubles the nightly rate and can triple the annual one. The length that counts is overall length, including bathing platform, bowsprit or outboard, so a 9.9 m boat with a platform can end up paying as an 11 m boat.
Type of boat
Catamarans pay a surcharge of 50 to 100 % because they take up almost two berths. Marseillan applies 1.5 times the rate and Marina dei Presidi up to double in August. Sailboats and motorboats of the same length pay the same in almost every port.
Season
In July and August the visitor rate can be two, three or four times the winter rate. At Cala'n Bosch the summer rate is four times the winter one. May, June and September usually sit in between.
Destination and type of port
A municipal harbour or yacht club in a quieter area can cost half or a third of a private marina in Mallorca, the Côte d'Azur, Tuscany or the islands of the Bay of Naples. Publicly run ports tend to be cheaper, but they have waiting lists and few visitor berths in summer.
Length of stay
The longer the contract, the cheaper each night. At Marina de Bonaire, a summer month for a 10 m boat costs the same as about 16 separate nights, and the annual contract equals about 113 nights in high season. Many ports also have very competitive six-month or winter rates.
Marina or buoy
A buoy field is cheaper than a marina and puts you right in the bay, but has no water, electricity or shore access. It usually operates only in summer, with a maximum stay of a few nights.
Real example: 10 m sailboat with a permanent berth in Mallorca
A 10 m sailboat on an annual contract at Marina de Bonaire (Alcúdia), plus two weeks of cruising in August. Indicative 2026 budget including VAT:
- Annual berth contract, €4,864 plus VAT: €5,885
- Electricity for the year, moderate use: €150 – 300
- Liability and hull insurance, required by the marina: €300 – 600
- 14 visitor nights in other ports in August, at €50 to €125: €700 – 1,750
- Alternative: half of those nights on a buoy at about €45 – 75: saving of €35 – 350
Total: €7,000 to €8,500 a year in berthing and directly related costs. The same boat on an annual contract in a municipal harbour in the south of France would be around €2,500. In a luxury Tuscan marina it would exceed €12,000. The difference is mainly location, not services.
Renting a berth, anchoring or a buoy: which suits you
There is no "do it yourself" here as with other jobs, but there are alternatives to the marina:
- Anchoring on your own anchor is free in most places and is the cheapest way to cruise in summer. You need good ground tackle, the skill to pick the right bottom and respect for seagrass beds and protected areas where anchoring is banned.
- A buoy in a regulated field is a middle ground: safe, comfortable and cheaper than a marina. In sensitive areas such as the Balearics, Cap de Creus or Croatia's national parks, it is often the only option.
- A marina is essential in bad weather, for taking on water and fuel, for repairs or for leaving the boat unattended for several days.
- Dry storage in winter can be cheaper than a winter berth in some ports, protects the hull and brings forward the antifouling haul-out.
For many owners the most efficient approach is to combine an annual berth in an affordable port with nights at anchor or on a buoy during the season.
How to save without cutting corners
- Look at ports near the expensive destinations. A few miles from a luxury marina there is usually a municipal harbour at half the price.
- Book by the month or season if you are staying more than two weeks. The discount over separate nights is large.
- Book visitor berths early for July and August, and ask about June and September offers, which many marina groups run.
- Check the length you will be charged for. Measure the real overall length and compare it with your papers. A platform or bowsprit can move you into the next band.
- Ask what is included. A slightly higher rate with water and electricity included can work out cheaper than a low rate with metered power.
- Join public port waiting lists early. They are slow, but they give access to the lowest rates.
- Anchor when the weather allows. It is free and often the best place to spend the night.
How to choose a port or marina
Before signing a berth contract, ask and compare:
- How the rate is calculated: by band, linear metre or square metre, and with which length and beam.
- What is included: water, electricity, taxes, parking, wifi and berthing assistance.
- Shelter from the prevailing wind and swell, and depth at the berth.
- Technical services: boatyard, crane or travel lift, fuel dock and nearby workshops.
- Contract terms: advance payment, cancellation, subletting and annual price reviews.
Be wary of contracts without a written rate or offers to "transfer" a berth without concession documents. On Nautify you can compare berths in Palma de Mallorca or berths in Menorca and contact several ports at once. To see where the berth fits into the boat's overall budget, read our guide to the real cost of owning a boat and, if you want to save on marina nights, our guide on how to anchor a boat.
Conclusion
The berth is usually the biggest fixed cost of owning a boat. The difference between one port and another for the same boat can be five-fold, so it pays to compare carefully before signing. Choose on shelter, services and location, negotiate the arrangement that best matches how you use the boat and, if you are looking for a berth or a port you can trust, Nautify lets you compare options in your area.
