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What Is the Cheapest Private Jet You Can Buy?
The cheapest private jet you can buy today is a new Cirrus Vision Jet, priced from around €3.3 million for the latest G3 model launched in February 2026, though several older light jets on the used market cost far less. This guide breaks down real 2026 prices for the cheapest new jets on the market and the cheapest used ones, in euros, so you know what cheap actually means in private aviation.
The Cheapest New Private Jet You Can Buy: the Cirrus Vision Jet
The Cirrus Vision Jet holds the title of the cheapest new private jet you can buy. Cirrus priced the new third-generation G3 model, launched in February 2026, from around €3.3 million in Arrivée trim, according to Business Jet Traveler's coverage of the launch. It is the only single-engine jet in production for this market, which keeps both its purchase price and its running costs below every twin-engine jet on this list.
The outgoing G2+ generation is still changing hands on the secondary market, and current listings tracked by Controller.com show asking prices from around €2.3 million to €3.3 million, overlapping with the new G3's starting price now that deliveries have only just begun.
The aircraft is certified for single-pilot operation and seats up to seven occupants across three rows. Cirrus's own specifications for the G3 list a maximum range of 1,275 nautical miles and a top cruise speed of 317 knots, enough to connect most of Western Europe without a fuel stop.
Other New Jets Worth Comparing on Price
Two other new light jets are worth comparing on price, even though both cost more than the Vision Jet before any options are added.
Prices are indicative, converted from manufacturer list prices reported in US dollars, and vary with specification, options, and exchange rate. Contact Fast Private Jet for a live charter quote if you are weighing chartering against buying.
The Embraer Phenom 100EV lists at around €4.4 million new, according to GlobalAir's specifications database. It is the twin-engine step up from the Vision Jet, seating seven passengers plus two crew and reaching a normal range of 1,200 nautical miles, extending to 1,380 nautical miles under favourable conditions.
The HondaJet Elite II costs more again at around €6.4 million, as GlobalAir lists it, though it is also the longest-ranged and fastest aircraft in this comparison at 1,547 nautical miles and 422 knots.
Business Jet Traveler notes it was the first new-production twin-engine jet certified with Garmin's Autoland system, which can land the aircraft automatically in an emergency, a safety feature none of the cheaper options on this list currently offer.
How Much Cheaper Is a Used Private Jet?
Buying used takes the entry price well below any new jet on the market, though it comes with an older airframe and, in some cases, a manufacturer that no longer exists.
Prices are indicative, based on individual asking prices for specific used aircraft at the time of research, and will have moved on by the time you read this. Contact Fast Private Jet for a live charter quote if chartering is an option you are weighing against buying used.
Two older Cessna models push the entry price lower still. The original Citation I, sold in its single-pilot form as the 501, was built between 1977 and 1985 and typically seats five passengers plus a pilot. Controller.com currently lists examples from around €270,000 to €650,000, with an average asking price close to €540,000, making it one of the least expensive certified jets on the market today.
At the very bottom of the market, Controller.com lists a 1975 Learjet 25B with around 6,700 flight hours at €335,000, making it one of the cheapest certified private jets available to buy outright today. It was built between 1966 and 1982, seats up to eight passengers, and has a published range of around 1,535 nautical miles, though buyers of any aircraft this age should expect higher maintenance and parts costs than a newer jet.
A step up in size is the Cessna Citation II, sold as the model 550 and built between 1978 and 1994 before Cessna introduced the updated Citation Bravo on the same airframe. Early Citation II examples typically seat six to eight passengers, and Controller.com currently lists 1980s-era aircraft from around €370,000 to €875,000. Later Bravo-specification 550s from the late 1990s onward sell for considerably more, up to around €2.4 million.
The Eclipse 500 is currently one of the cheapest used jets on the market with a sourceable price, with Controller.com listing more than 20 aircraft for sale between €735,000 and €1.29 million. It seats five to six passengers over a range of around 1,125 nautical miles.
Its original manufacturer, Eclipse Aviation, went through Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2008 before the type was eventually absorbed into One Aviation, which itself folded in 2021. Parts and support are now handled by a successor company, so buyers should budget time to confirm maintenance history and support arrangements before committing.
A step up in price but with more straightforward support is the Cessna Citation Mustang, which Cessna built until 2017 and which Textron Aviation, still a going concern, continues to support directly. Current listings on Controller.com show more than 20 aircraft for sale between €1.29 million and €1.98 million. It seats four passengers in the cabin, for up to six occupants including both pilots, and has a published range of around 1,167 nautical miles.
A different kind of value is the Dassault Falcon 50, a three-engine jet that GlobalAir's own buyer's guide calls "one of the most successful production series aircraft ever developed" and the first private jet with genuine intercontinental range. Built between 1976 and 1996, it seats eight to nine passengers and has a published range of around 3,075 nautical miles, far beyond anything else in this guide. Controller.com currently lists examples from around €1.45 million to €2.4 million, with the updated 50EX built through 2008 selling for considerably more, up to around €5.5 million.
The trade-off is that the Falcon 50 flies on three Honeywell TFE731 engines rather than two, so there are three overhaul bills to plan for instead of two. AvBuyer prices a full overhaul of a related TFE731 variant at around €505,000 to €735,000 per engine at full retail rates, so budgeting for engine maintenance matters even more on this aircraft than on the twin-engine jets above.
Why the Cheapest Jet to Buy Isn't the Cheapest Jet to Own
A low purchase price does not mean a low cost of ownership. Every aircraft on this list still needs a pilot, hangar space, insurance, and scheduled maintenance, and older airframes like the Learjet 25 and Eclipse 500 typically cost more to maintain than a current-production jet, not less.
This is also where the gap between buying and chartering becomes clearest. An owner of even the cheapest jet on this list carries fixed costs every month whether the aircraft flies or not, while a charter client only pays for the hours actually flown.
The clearest example is the engine itself. The Cessna Citation I, Citation II, and Learjet 25 all fly on Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-series engines, and a buyer's guide aimed at exactly these aircraft warns plainly that the original JT15D-4 is "expensive to overhaul," according to Quantum Jets. Standard operating-cost estimates for the Citation II build in an engine reserve of around €230 per flight hour, so on an aircraft bought for under €500,000, a single overhaul event on either engine can absorb a large share of what the aircraft is actually worth.
The Cessna Citation Mustang shows the same pattern at a slightly higher price point. Its Pratt & Whitney PW615F engines have a published time between overhauls of 3,500 hours, according to FlyRadius, and operating-cost data compiled by LibertyJet puts the aircraft's engine reserve at roughly €257 per flight hour. Carried across a full overhaul cycle, that works out to around €900,000 set aside for engine maintenance alone, a substantial sum against an aircraft that can be bought for as little as €1.29 million.
Even the newer Cessna Citation CJ family shows the same pattern. AOPA puts FJ44 engine overhaul costs at around €230,000 to €320,000 per engine, or roughly €645,000 for both, against a typical CJ1 resale value of about €1.65 million to €2.4 million, meaning a single overhaul cycle can account for well over a quarter of the aircraft's entire resale value.
What About Turboprops Like the King Air or TBM 700?
A private jet is not the only option at this budget. A turboprop is an aircraft powered by a turbine engine that drives a propeller rather than producing pure jet thrust, and it typically costs less to buy and less to maintain than a jet of similar age, though it cruises slower and usually flies at a lower altitude.
Prices are indicative, based on individual asking prices for specific used aircraft at the time of research, and will have moved on by the time you read this. Contact Fast Private Jet for a live charter quote if chartering is an option you are weighing against buying used.
The Beechcraft King Air is the best-known example and remains in production today. Used King Air 90-series aircraft, the smallest in the family, typically seat five to eight passengers, and Controller.com currently lists examples built between 1973 and 2011 from around €370,000 to €2.9 million. The larger King Air 350 seats eight to eleven passengers and runs from roughly €1.38 million to €5.5 million for aircraft built between 1990 and 2020, according to Controller.com.
For a single-engine option, the Daher TBM 700, originally built by Socata, typically seats six and was produced between 1991 and 2006. Controller.com currently lists examples from around €825,000 to €2 million, a similar bracket to several of the used jets above.
The trade-off is speed and altitude. A light jet cruises at around 400 to 450 knots above 40,000 feet, while a King Air or TBM 700 cruises nearer 280 to 320 knots below 31,000 feet, meaning longer flight times and more exposure to weather. For buyers who value cost over speed, a turboprop is worth comparing directly against the jets above, and Fast Private Jet's sales and acquisition team can talk through whether a jet or a turboprop better fits a specific mission.
Why Most Buyers at This Price Point Charter Instead
For most people comparing these prices, the more useful question is not which jet is cheapest to buy, but how many hours a year they would actually fly it. Very light and light jet charter typically runs from about €2,500 to €5,000 an hour, which means even frequent flyers can log well over 100 hours a year before matching the annual cost of owning one of the aircraft above.
Private jet charter gives access to this entire category of aircraft, and others besides, without the purchase price, crew costs, or maintenance reserves that come with ownership. For the smaller group of buyers whose flying genuinely justifies owning an aircraft, Fast Private Jet's sales and acquisition team can talk through the real numbers for a specific aircraft before you commit.
Sources
- Cirrus Aircraft Unveils Third-generation G3 Vision Jet - Business Jet Traveler
- Vision Jet Specifications - Cirrus Aircraft
- HondaJet Elite II Adds Range, Plush Interior Options - Business Jet Traveler
- Phenom 100EV Specifications - GlobalAir
- HondaJet Elite II Specifications - GlobalAir
- Eclipse 500 For Sale - Controller.com
- Learjet 25 For Sale - Controller.com
- Cessna Citation Mustang For Sale - Controller.com
- Cessna Citation 501 For Sale - Controller.com
- Cessna Citation 550 For Sale - Controller.com
- Cessna Citation II (Model 550): Specs, Performance, and Buyer's Guide - Quantum Jets
- The Deal on CJs - AOPA
- Citation Mustang Engine - PW615F-A - FlyRadius
- Citation Mustang Ownership Costs - LibertyJet
- Beechcraft King Air 90 For Sale - Controller.com
- Beechcraft King Air 350 For Sale - Controller.com
- Daher TBM 700 For Sale - Controller.com
- Dassault Falcon 50 For Sale - Controller.com
- Falcon 50 Specifications - GlobalAir
- The Cost vs Benefit Choices for Engine Overhauls - AvBuyer
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
What is the cheapest private jet you can buy?
Among new jets, the Cirrus Vision Jet is the cheapest, with the new G3 model priced from around €3.3 million. The outgoing G2+ generation is trading on the secondary market for a similar range, from about €2.3 million to €3.3 million. On the used market, an older Cessna Citation I (501) can be found from around €270,000, while a current-generation Cessna Citation Mustang typically costs more, from around €1.29 million.
How much does a used private jet cost?
Used private jet prices vary enormously by age, model, and flight hours. At the very bottom of the market, a Cessna Citation I (501) from the late 1970s can be found from around €270,000, and a Cessna Citation II (550) from the 1980s typically runs from €370,000 to €875,000. A Learjet 25 starts from around €335,000, an Eclipse 500 typically runs from €735,000 to €1.29 million, and a Cessna Citation Mustang typically runs from €1.29 million to €1.98 million.
Is the Cirrus Vision Jet a good aircraft to buy?
It is the only single-engine jet certified for this market, which keeps both its purchase price and operating costs below any twin-engine alternative. It seats up to seven and is certified for single-pilot operation, though its 1,275 nautical mile range suits regional trips rather than long-haul flying.
Can you buy a private jet for under €500,000?
Yes, but only on the used market, typically in a 1970s or 1980s era aircraft such as a Learjet 25 or a Cessna Citation I (501). Expect higher maintenance costs, limited parts availability, and a shorter remaining service life than a newer jet, so budget carefully beyond the purchase price.
Why are older Cessna Citations and Learjets so cheap?
Their low purchase price mainly reflects age and a thin resale market, not a flaw in the aircraft itself. The catch is that their Pratt & Whitney JT15D engines are expensive to overhaul, and on an aircraft bought for under €500,000, a single overhaul can absorb a large share of what the aircraft is worth. Buyers should budget for this before focusing on the purchase price alone.
Is a turboprop cheaper than a private jet?
Generally yes. A used Beechcraft King Air or Daher TBM 700 typically costs less to buy and less to maintain than a comparable-age private jet, though it flies slower and at a lower altitude. For buyers who prioritise cost over speed, a turboprop is worth comparing directly against the jets in this guide.
Is the Dassault Falcon 50 a good used private jet to buy?
Yes, with some care. It has a strong reputation as one of the most successful early intercontinental-range business jets, and the original model currently sells from around €1.45 million to €2.4 million, with far more range and cabin space than most jets at that price. The catch is that it has three engines instead of two, so an overhaul means three bills rather than two, which is worth budgeting for before buying on price alone.
Is it cheaper to buy or charter a private jet?
For most people, chartering is cheaper unless they expect to fly well over 100 hours a year. Ownership adds crew, hangar, insurance, and maintenance costs on top of the purchase price, while charter clients only pay for the hours they actually fly.