There is no single price for a container ship, but there is a defensible range for every size band — and the gap between the two ends of it is usually explained by five or six variables you can check yourself. A 1,000 TEU feeder leaving a Chinese yard today is a USD 20 million ship; a 13,000 TEU dual-fuel newbuilding from a Korean yard is a USD 200 million ship. Most buyers are looking between those two poles, and this is where the numbers land in 2026.
The short answer: container ship prices by size
Indicative ranges as of July 2026, in USD millions, for a standard specification. Newbuild figures are ex-yard prices for conventional propulsion; secondhand figures assume class maintained with no imminent special survey.
| Size band | Newbuild | Secondhand (5 yr / 15 yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 500–1,000 TEU feeder | 16–22 | 12–18 / 4–8 |
| 1,000–1,700 TEU feeder | 20–38 | 18–32 / 6–12 |
| 1,700–2,800 TEU | 38–52 | 32–45 / 9–16 |
| 2,800–5,000 TEU | 52–80 | 45–68 / 12–22 |
| 5,000–8,500 TEU | 80–125 | 70–105 / 18–35 |
| 8,500–13,000 TEU | 125–185 | 105–155 / 30–55 |
| 13,000 TEU+ dual-fuel | 185–210 | — |
Two reference points behind it: 2026-delivery feeders of 1,056 TEU have been offered ex-Chinese yard at USD 19.7–20.3 million, and a 1,350 TEU unit at USD 26.7 million. At the top of the market, a 2026 order for six 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel ships at a Korean yard was contracted at USD 185–204 million per vessel. Prices move monthly, so treat the table as a sanity check on a quote, not as a valuation.
What a newbuilding actually costs in 2026
Where it is built: a Chinese yard will typically quote 10–20% below a Korean or Japanese yard for a comparable box ship, though that discount comes with a heavier supervision burden — see buying a ship from a Chinese shipyard.
Fuel and propulsion: LNG or methanol dual-fuel adds roughly 15–25% at the same size. Whether it pays back depends on your trade and where the ship’s EEXI and CII numbers land over its life, not on the premium in isolation.
Slot scarcity: the constraint is berth availability rather than steel. A 2029 delivery slot prices differently from a 2027 one, and a full yard prices differently from an empty one.
Why five-year-old ships cost almost as much as new
The most important number in the secondhand box market is a ratio, not a price: five-year-old container ships have been trading at roughly 80% of the average newbuilding price — the highest relative level since late 2022 — with values up around 17% year on year even as freight rates softened, near USD 11,400 per TEU.
So the resale-versus-newbuild arithmetic no longer favours modern secondhand automatically. At 80 cents on the newbuild dollar you are paying nearly new-ship money for a vessel already five years into its class cycle and built to an older efficiency standard. Value still sits in the 12–20 year band, where 1,000–5,000 TEU ships change hands around USD 5–15 million — and that is where the red flags cluster. The discount is compensation for risk, not a bargain someone left on the table.
Tip: Convert every quote into dollars per TEU before comparing it to anything. It normalises away the headline number, exposes an outlier immediately, and it is the metric brokers and valuers use.
Six things that move the price more than TEU does
| Factor | Effect on price |
|---|---|
| Time to next special survey | Discount by the full docking cost — often USD 1.5–4m on a mid-size box ship — plus off-hire. See special surveys and drydocking |
| Gear (own cranes) | A geared feeder carries a clear premium and opens a wider pool of trades and charterers |
| Reefer plug count | Lifts value on trades that need it, and is nearly impossible to add economically later |
| Main engine and consumption | Fuel burn at service speed is the biggest operating line; a modern electronic engine is worth real money |
| Class and flag history | Continuous class with a first-tier IACS society, no gaps. See class notations and flag state |
| Charter attached | A ship sold with a period charter at above-market rates sells at a premium to the same ship open |
What to budget beyond the purchase price
The number on the memorandum of agreement is not what the ship costs you on day one. Allow a further 10–15% before it earns its first dollar:
- Pre-purchase inspection — a five-figure cost that regularly saves seven figures.
- Drydocking and outstanding class conditions, if the survey position is not clean.
- Ballast water treatment, where not already fitted — see environmental compliance.
- Delivery voyage, bunkers and stores — bunkers on board are paid for at delivery.
- Broker commission, typically around 1%.
- Flag registration, class transfer and insurance.
- Financing costs and working capital for the first operating cycle.
Price sanity-check checklist
- ☐ Quote converted to dollars per TEU and compared against the size band
- ☐ Last special survey date, next due date and any outstanding conditions of class confirmed
- ☐ Nominal versus homogeneous TEU read off the specification, not the summary
- ☐ Gear, reefer plug count and design draft matched to your intended trade
- ☐ Class and flag history reviewed for gaps or changes of society
- ☐ Compared against the newbuild alternative at today’s yard prices and delivery slots
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 1,000 TEU container ship cost? Around USD 19–22 million from a Chinese yard for 2026–2027 delivery. A well-maintained 15-year-old unit of the same size trades in the USD 6–12 million range, depending on gear, survey position and engine.
What does a 5,000 TEU container ship cost? Around USD 70–80 million as a conventional newbuilding, and USD 45–68 million at five years old — a narrower gap than most buyers expect, because modern secondhand tonnage trades near 80% of newbuild parity. At 15 years or more, around USD 15–22 million.
How much is a 500 TEU container ship? Usually a secondhand proposition, trading from roughly USD 4 million for older tonnage to around USD 18 million for a modern, geared unit. New construction at this size is rarely competitive per TEU.
Is a bulk carrier cheaper than a container ship? Per deadweight tonne, generally yes — a simpler ship with less outfitting and no reefer systems or cell guides. See secondhand bulk carrier value drivers and newbuild versus secondhand.
Why do two ships of the same size and age have very different prices? Almost always survey position, gear, reefer capacity, engine consumption, class continuity, or an attached charter — in roughly that order. The residual difference is usually the seller’s motivation.
How is a container ship valued formally? By comparable recent sales, adjusted for specification and survey position, cross-checked against earnings capacity with scrap value as a floor — see how much is a ship worth.
Pricing a specific ship? Golden Shipyard prices container tonnage on real intake, survey position and condition rather than nominal TEU. Browse current availability under container ships for sale and the wider vessels for sale list, or get a valuation view through our ship sale & purchase brokerage services. To receive full particulars under NDA, email [email protected].