Is there usually a dramatic difference between $5k and $10k cartridges ?

There are plateaus based on price points. You can easily get mesmerized thinking that the more you spend the better your system will sound. Yes usually cartridges in the 5k range will have a different level of quality as opposed to cartridges in the 10k range. The same goes with cartridges in the 500 to 1k range and so on. Don’t be fooled thinking that spending more will yield better results. A 5k cartridge may perform significantly better than one priced at 10k simply because it’s a much better match for your system. The kind of music you enjoy, speakers, room acoustics and how the signal is processed all play into the game. Some spend years and thousands trying to find the perfect cartridge.

In the past year I was able to source two TOTL cartridges, a Transfiguration Proteus and a ZYX Ultimate Astro. They retailed at $6k and $13k respectively. I did it precisely to answer the question posed by the OP. While I can probably give a very quick and short answer to the question,  I would like to share more of my experience. In the end the answer for me is more nuanced.

I have been moving up the ZYX line for many years starting with an Airy 3 back in the 90’s. More recently it was going from the Ultimate 1000 ( $2k ) to Ultimate Omega ( $ 5k ). My experience with listening to any new addition to my system involves an immediate comparison mode. Breaking down what I hear into bass, midrange and high frequency, or tonal responses, or details…..etc, and figuring out the differences between the new and old. With the Ultimate 1000 and the Ultimate Omega, I did not hear the ‘next level’ improvement that my dealer claimed. Yes, the entire frequency range improved, soundstage a bit more solid, details were sharper…etc. But not something that exceeded my expectation. And from there started in my mind the exact same question posed by the OP… $5k to $10k, big difference?

Not able to source in the $10k range, I thought of getting something close. The now discontinued Transfiguration Proteus has been compared favorably to pre-Lambda Lyra Atlas among others. Eventually I got a Proteus rebuilt by Anna Mighty Sound. With the Proteus, the entire soundstage widened, details increased, and most significantly the dynamics jumped many notches. The sense of live music playing in front of me is palpable.

When a $10k cartridge finally arrive with the ZYX Ultimate Astro, the listening experience caught me by surprise. As soon as the stylus dropped, my first thought was, ‘ I get it’. My typical analytical / comparison prone brain just shut down. It was not a matter of just the bass being prodigious which it was. But it was the bass, the upper bass, the lower mid, …..etc, the entire spectrum was now a holistic continuum. That is what correct, proper music reproduction should sound like… l get it. 
The short answer to the OP’s question is ‘yes’. There is a gulf of a difference between cartridges in the two price range. But I have sourced my two top cartridges at 50% - 30% of retail. So if the question of ‘value’ comes into the equation, then I will say ‘no’. Given what I know now, I will not spend an extra $5k to get the top notch sound quality. 

So....

The short answer to the question - it depends but often yes.

Interesting discussion.

Dartzeel sells a million dollar cartridge.

Work your way up to it ( the Swiss shall help you launder your dirty money).