How much does a small plane cost to buy? Used and new prices for 13 types
November 2, 2026 · Chris van Eijk
What a small plane costs depends mostly on which plane and how old. We read 568 advertisements with a price on 2 November 2026, for 13 types from a two-seat trainer to a six-seat Bonanza, and put the medians next to the new prices in our aircraft ownership cost calculator.
Short answer: a used two-seat Cessna 150 had a median asking price of $51,500, a four-seat Piper PA-28 $98,500, a Cessna 172 $139,000, a Cessna 182 $279,000 and a Cirrus SR22 or SR22T $644,950. New, a Cessna 172S lists at $580,000 and a Cirrus SR22 at $937,900, and a two-seat Comco Ikarus C42 listed at €96,323 before VAT in its base version in January 2025. These are asking prices from a sample of advertisements, not what buyers paid.
What does a used small plane cost?
The table gives the median asking price per type, in the currency of the advertisement, and the number of advertisements behind it. We could read only some sites, so this is a sample and not the market, and sale prices can be lower. A figure with few advertisements behind it is a rough guide at best. Some foreign advertisements appear converted to dollars, some euro prices include VAT and some don't, and the table leaves out 15 advertisements in pounds.
What a small plane asks, used and new
| Type | Used, dollars | Used, euros | New |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 150 | $51,500 (12) | €49,000 (3) | – |
| Cessna 152 | $69,950 (1) | – | – |
| Cessna 172 | $139,000 (21) | €97,600 (14) | $580,000list |
| Piper PA-28 Cherokee to Archer | $98,500 (29) | €67,500 (10) | $584,900indicative |
| Mooney M20J | $129,500 (4) | €144,400 (3) | – |
| Cessna 182 and T182 | $279,000 (56) | €297,500 (12) | $772,000list |
| Diamond DA40 | $344,500 (14) | €355,000 (4) | $580,000indicative |
| Cirrus SR20 | $449,900 (73) | €202,000 (8) | $694,900list |
| Cirrus SR22 and SR22T | $644,950 (228) | €322,500 (22) | $937,900list |
| Beechcraft A36 and G36 Bonanza | $454,900 (23) | €385,000 (3) | $1,404,000list |
| Robin DR400 | – | €144,450 (3) | – |
| Tecnam P2008 and P2002 | $160,000 (1) | €165,000 (3) | – |
| Van’s RV-7 and RV-8 (experimental) | $137,500 (6) | – | – |
Median asking price of a used small plane, in dollars
| Type | Median |
|---|---|
| Cessna 150 | $51,500 |
| Piper PA-28 Cherokee to Archer | $98,500 |
| Mooney M20J | $129,500 |
| Van’s RV-7 and RV-8 (experimental) | $137,500 |
| Cessna 172 | $139,000 |
| Cessna 182 and T182 | $279,000 |
| Diamond DA40 | $344,500 |
| Cirrus SR20 | $449,900 |
| Beechcraft A36 and G36 Bonanza | $454,900 |
| Cirrus SR22 and SR22T | $644,950 |
Why do prices differ so much within a type?
Inside a type the spread is wide. Cessna 150s asked $39,950 to $67,900 and PA-28s $39,950 to $539,900, the top of that range being a 2022 Archer. Cessna 182s asked $106,900 to $924,900, and the top is a 2025 turbocharged T182T, which lists new at $871,000. Age, engine hours, panel and damage history all count, so a type median tells you where to start and not what one aircraft is worth. A pre-buy inspection tells you its condition.
The dollar and euro columns are different sets of aircraft, so don't read them as an exchange rate. A Cirrus SR20 has a $449,900 median in dollars and a €202,000 median in euros, and their median build years are 2020 and 2006. The Cirrus row also mixes two aircraft: split by title, a normally aspirated SR22 asked a median of $444,900 and a turbocharged one $730,000, and 27 of them were built in 2024 or later. For one type in more detail, see what a Cessna 172 costs, by generation.
What does a new small plane cost?
Far more. Textron prints its 2026 list prices in its Fact Book: $580,000 for a Cessna 172S, $772,000 for a 182T and $1,404,000 for a Bonanza G36. Cirrus lists an SR20 at $694,900 and an SR22 at $937,900 on its North America price lists for 2026. Options cost extra.
The light end costs less. Comco Ikarus lists a base C42 C at €96,323 net before VAT on its price list from January 2025. It has two seats and a Rotax engine.
What is the cheapest small plane to buy?
Among types with at least four advertisements in dollars, the cheapest medians were the Cessna 150 at $51,500 and the Piper PA-28 at $98,500, with older Cherokees at the low end of that type. The purchase price is only part of it. The cheapest plane to own and fly ranks 26 piston aircraft on what an hour costs, and what it costs to own a plane adds up the year.
How do you pay less?
Share it. A quarter of a $98,500 PA-28 is $24,625, and the hangar, annual inspection and insurance divide the same way. The hours you fly stay your own. See how to set up a partnership and how shares work in the UK. If you borrow, the aircraft loan calculator shows the monthly payment and published loan rates show what lenders charge. And if you fly little, a flying club or renting can cost less than any purchase.
Prices change, and an advertisement can disappear the day after we read it. These are asking prices read on 2 November 2026.