HOW MUCH PACK OF CIGARETTES COSTS IN 2025: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE

Key Takeaways

• The average cost for a pack of 20 cigarettes in Britain is £16.48 according to the Office for National Statistics.

• Nicotine replacement products offer significant savings but don't provide a strong success rate for quitting smoking.

• E-Cigarettes could cost as little as £521.95 per year, matching similar savings seen with the cheapest nicotine replacement products, while being almost twice as effective at helping smokers to quit.

How Much is a Pack of Cigarettes in the UK?

The average cost to purchase cigarettes in the UK is intentionally increasing year on year, with the aim to make smoking a much less desirable lifestyle choice. This approach, coupled with the raising of the legal age to buy tobacco products and strict regulations on the sale of any tobacco product, including age verification processes, is intended to eliminate tobacco smoking as soon as possible.

As of November 2024, the average cost of a packet of cigarettes will cost you £16.48 - according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) (1). That means someone smoking a packet of 20 cigarettes per day will end up spending on average £6,015.20 over the year - and that doesn’t include further increases that may come into effect.

As a side note, a box of E-Cigarette refills will set you back around £10 for 5 refills - that's £2 per refill, with each refill containing upwards of 20 cigarettes worth of nicotine - so a heavy smoker would spend £2 per day with SMOKO instead of £15!

Factors Affecting Cigarette Prices

Cigarette prices in the UK are influenced by a variety of factors, with government-imposed tax duty playing a significant role. The duty paid on tobacco products is a major component of the final price of cigarettes. This duty is intended to discourage smoking by making tobacco products more expensive. In addition to duties, the cost of production, including labour and raw materials, also affects cigarette prices. Market demand and competition among brands further influence the price consumers pay. As a result, the price of cigarettes can vary widely depending on these factors.

Regional Cigarette Price Variations

Cigarette prices in the UK can vary significantly depending on the region. Factors such as local taxes, transportation costs, and market competition all play a role in these price differences. Generally, prices tend to be higher in urban areas and lower in rural regions, but prices also vary by the incomes of the local areas. (2)

Smokers can take advantage of these price differences by purchasing cigarettes in areas where prices are lower or by shopping online from tobacconists that offer competitive pricing. By being aware of regional price variations, smokers can make more cost-effective choices and potentially save money on their tobacco purchases.

In conclusion, understanding the various factors that influence cigarette prices, including regional variations and future forecasts, can help smokers make informed decisions about their purchases - like deciding to quit smoking with an E-Cigarette! Whether buying from supermarkets, local shops, or online tobacconists, being aware of the best options available can lead to significant savings.

Purchasing Cigarettes

Purchasing cigarettes in the UK can be both convenient and cost-effective, depending on where you choose to buy them. Smokers have several options, including supermarkets, local shops, and online tobacconists. Each of these sources offers different advantages in terms of prices, availability, and accessibility.

When buying cigarettes, it’s crucial to understand the difference between duty-paid and duty-free products. Duty-paid cigarettes are those purchased within the UK, where the price includes all applicable taxes and duties. On the other hand, duty-free cigarettes are bought in other countries or on board ships, often at a lower price due to the absence of local taxes (3). However, the duty-free allowance for tobacco products is limited, and exceeding this limit can result in additional duties being charged on the full amount.

For those who prefer the convenience of online shopping, websites like Smoke-King Tobacconist offer a wide range of cigarette options, including premium brands like Silk Cut and Benson Hedges. These online tobacconists provide an easy way to purchase cigarettes, especially for those who may have difficulty finding their favorite brands in local shops. Additionally, supermarkets often have competitive prices due to their ability to buy in bulk, making them a popular choice for many smokers.

What is the cost range for tobacco cigarettes UK?

Not all cigarettes cost the same, so there is a chance you aren't spending £16.48 for your cigarettes, but even if you choose the cheaper options and avoid king size cigarettes, you are still spending thousands of pounds (Sterling) to smoke every year. Let's have a look at some of the leading brands:

Sovereign - Sovereign's Blue pack of 20 cigs is on the cheaper end of the scale, currently at £13.30 from Tesco superstores. That makes a yearly cost of £4,854.50; almost £1,200 less than the average yearly cost.

Lambert Butler - A packet of 20 king size cigarettes of Lambert Butler Original Silver costs £14.95, costing £5,456.75 over the course of a year.

Marlboro - A pack of Marlboro Gold costs £16.25 from Tesco (same for Marlboro Reds), equating to a yearly cost of £5,931.25 for a 20 cigarettes-per-day smoker.

Benson Hedges - a 20 pack of Benson Hedges Gold will set you back £17.66 - that works out to be £6,445.90 per year, almost £500 more per year than the average.

Silk Cut - a pack of Silk Cut Silver will cost you a whopping £18.15, working out to £6,624.75 every year - over £600 more than the average.

Consumers can also find these brands with other products, like Marlboro Red, in supermarkets adhering to legal regulations. Customers may also find that supermarkets prices are better than your local store due to their ability to make savings with high volume purchasing, meaning the yearly costs mentioned here are likely your best case scenario!

Cigarette Price Forecast for 2025

Looking ahead to 2025, the price of cigarettes in the UK is expected to continue its upward trend. Various factors, including government policies, increased taxes, and market dynamics, are likely to drive this increase. Industry reports suggest that the average price of a pack of cigarettes could rise by 5-10% in 2025.

The UK government has been actively working to reduce smoking rates, and one of the primary strategies is to increase the cost of tobacco products through higher taxes (4). This not only discourages smoking but also generates additional revenue. Furthermore, the rising costs of production and distribution, influenced by factors such as inflation and supply chain challenges, are expected to contribute to the price hike.

For those looking to stay informed about the latest data and trends in cigarette prices, resources like Statista offer comprehensive reports on the tobacco industry. These reports provide valuable insights and can help smokers make informed decisions about their purchases, ensuring they are aware of the financial implications of their smoking habits.

What is the cost of cigars UK?

There is a huge variety in the cost of cigars, much more than the range between a pack of 20 cigarettes, here in Britain. A main reason for this is the differences in cigar products - from cigarillos to big ol' Cubans, the differences in the amount of tobacco used, the style and country of origin, all impact the price.

For example, a pack of 20 Royal Dutch Blue cigarillos costs £13.30 from Tesco. Compared with the average pack of 20 cigarettes, that seems quite reasonable, however some of the cigar products available from Tesco are £14.62 for a single cigar. Therefore, it is almost pointless to compare the cost of cigar smoking to cigarettes.

For cigar lovers struggling to pack in the habit, check out the SMOKO VAPE MAX! This cylindrical style vape sits in your hand like a cigar, and you can even enjoy that classic cigar flavour with our Havana Cigar flavour VAPE MAX Refills!

What is the cost of other well known tobacco products

Other tobacco products are available in the UK and it is important to note than nicotine-containing products are often classified as tobacco products for legal purposes. While nicotine products help to tackle nicotine addiction, many of them do not contain tobacco and so do not pose the same risk as smoking or using chewing tobacco.

Chewing tobacco can vary in cost, but a tin may cost around £8, but again this depends on the brand. Snuff, or inhaled tobacco, could cost as little as £1.99.

The modern replacement for chewing tobacco can be found in the form of nicotine pouches, or 'snus' pouches - these pouches contain nicotine-soaked fibres that release the nicotine when placed in the mouth. A single pack of snus will cost around £4.94, but you can bulk buy to increase the savings.

The rising costs of tobacco products

The British Government had an agenda to make Britain smoke-free by 2030. While this may be too close to be a realistic timescale, it represents the UK Governments desire to reduce tobacco-related deaths and disease.

The methods to get this plan into action include making tobacco products more expensive - which is unlikely to help significantly as many tobacco users will likely just move to a cheaper option, which in turn could actually be a more harmful product. The second avenue is to increase the age at which people can buy tobacco products, increasing it every year until the law essentially prevents even the oldest human being from buying tobacco products in the UK.

Tobacco Industry Overview

The tobacco industry is a significant sector in Britain, with a long history of production and consumption (5). This industry encompasses several key areas, including manufacture, trade, retail, and consumption. The UK market is home to many well-known tobacco products, including popular brands like Silk Cut and Benson Hedges. The industry is heavily regulated, with laws governing taxation, advertising, and packaging. These regulations aim to control the sale and consumption of tobacco products, ensuring that consumers are aware of the health risks associated with smoking.

Smoking-Related Costs

Smoking is a costly habit, with significant financial implications for both individuals and society. The direct costs of smoking include the purchase of cigarettes, which can add up quickly given the average price of a pack of 20 cigarettes in England is now over £16. Indirect costs, such as healthcare expenses and lost productivity, also contribute to the overall financial burden of smoking. According to ASH Scotland, smoking can consume more than 30% of household income in lower-income groups (6). These costs highlight the substantial economic impact of smoking on individuals and the broader community.

Quitting Smoking

Quitting smoking offers numerous health and financial benefits. According to the NHS, individuals who quit smoking can save over £3,000 per year, a significant amount that can be redirected towards other expenses or savings (7). Beyond the financial savings, quitting smoking reduces the risk of developing smoking-related illnesses, such as lung cancer and heart disease. There are many resources available to help individuals quit smoking, including nicotine replacement therapy and counseling services. By quitting smoking, individuals can improve their health and well-being while also enjoying substantial financial savings.

Nicotine replacement products

Nicotine replacement therapy, or 'NRT', has been used for decades as a way to provide nicotine to users to help stop smoking. As these products have been available for such a long time, plenty of studies have been conducted on these and they are generally considered safe for even long-term use.

Easily available nicotine replacement products include nicotine gum, nicotine lozenges and nicotine inhalators - which are all administered orally - and nicotine patches that are applied to the skin. These products are designed to release nicotine over time in order to tackle nicotine cravings when quitting smoking.

These products are cheaper than smoking:

Nicotine gum - costing around £6 for a pack of 25, it is typically advised not to surpass 15 pieces per day - so a heavy user may get through 1 pack of nicotine gum every 2 days. This would work out to about £1,095 to use for a year.

Nicotine lozenges - costing between £9 - £12 for a box containing 72 lozenges (with bulk buy options to bring the cost down) and limited to taking no more than 15 lozenges per day, a box of nicotine lozenges could last almost 5 days. A year's supply would work out to around £766 per year.

Nicotine patches - available at a few strengths (7mg, 14mg and 21mg) a box of 14 nicotine patches should last 14 days as you should use one per day. A box of 14 patches will cost around £20, working out to be around £520 for a year.

Nicotine replacement products were the best option for helping smokers to quit without the use of medication, until E-Cigarettes changed everything.

The Cost of E-Cigarettes

E-Cigarettes offer a way of consuming nicotine in a fashion similar to smoking, which may explain why evidence indicates that E-Cigarettes are more effective for quitting smoking than traditional forms of nicotine replacement therapy mentioned above.

While E-Cigarettes have been around for a shorter time so more studies need to be done to clarify the risks, Public Health England's evidence review found E-Cigarettes to be at least 95% less harmful than smoking tobacco cigarettes. This is in the case of a well regulated market, like the UK and EU that have strict regulations about the manufacturing of E-Cigarettes and the ingredients allowed inside them.

Using SMOKO as an example, we find that most vapers using our devices get through around 1ml of e-liquid per day. Using the SMOKO VAPE POD as a reference, 1ml of e-liquid per day works out to 1 VAPE POD refill every 2 days. When buying just a single box of refills at £10.99, one pod costs £3.66 - that works out to be £667.95 per year for your e-liquid. As soon as you start buying in bulk using the SMOKO Weekly Deals, the cost per pod drops significantly, with our best deal bringing the price per pod down to £2.86, which in turn brings down the yearly spend to £521.95!

As you can see, spending £521.95 a year with SMOKO versus spending £6,015.20 on cigarettes is quite a difference - £5,493.25 per year, to be exact!

The Health Benefits of Switching To E-Cigarettes

We all know smoking is bad for us, so the reason many of these other products exist is to reduce the harm from smoking. While nicotine replacement therapy products do this, the limited strengths available and different delivery methods meant that NRT has never been able to help everyone to the degree they need. This is why E-Cigarettes are so powerful - the evidence indicates they could be up to twice as effective as nicotine replacement products! (8)

So, with E-Cigarettes looking like the best way to quit smoking, the concern around inhaling E-Cigarette vapour is the question of 'is it likely to be harmful'? Other nicotine replacement products eliminate inhalation from the delivery which should work efficiently for reducing harm, however the success rates aren't as good when compared to vaping, so the question is: do E-Cigarettes count as harm reduction?

The answer is a resounding 'yes'! As mentioned, Public Health England's review found E-Cigarettes to be 95% less harmful than tobacco cigarettes, and Cancer Research UK's own investigation found a 97% reduction in harm. This is due to the fact that E-Cigarettes eliminate combustion from the process, getting rid of the formation of nasty chemicals like tar and carbon monoxide that impact lung and cardiovascular function. E-Cigarettes work by heating a liquid known as 'e-liquid' to produce an aerosol (or 'vapour) and the only ingredients in e-liquid are propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerine (VG), flavourings and nicotine.

While E-Cigarettes are not entirely risk free, the amounts of volatile compounds produced in the vaping process are significantly lower than those made and released when burning tobacco. The studies showing improvements in lung function and cardiovascular function for smokers who have quit with E-Cigarettes, as well as many anecdotal instances our customers share about their improved breathing, demonstrates that E-Cigarettes are a harm reduction tool for smokers.

Summary

It's time to bin the Benson Hedges, lob your Lambert Butlers, move on from Marlboros and sequester your Silk Cuts because E-Cigarettes will be more enjoyable, better for your bank balance and give your body a chance to begin recovering from smoking tobacco. The evidence is on your side, so make the switch with SMOKO today!

At SMOKO, our devices are low powered, offering a safe vaping experience, coupled with an eco-friendly approach with our rechargeable vape batteries. The range of SMOKO flavours available include a variety of tobacco options, as well as other tempting flavours including Vanilla, Absinthe, Coffee and fruit offerings like Raspberry and Cherry.

Our starter kit range gives you the option to choose a cigalike device - the SMOKO E-Cigarette - designed to look and feel like a cigarette to make the transition to vaping as seamless as possible, a prefilled pod device - the SMOKO VAPE POD - that offers a more modern look and feel coupled with more advanced vaping technology, the newest addition: the SMOKO VAPE MAX - utilising mesh coil technology and designed to feel like a cylindrical disposable vape for disposable users needing to switch due to the disposable vape ban due to take effect in 2025.

REFERENCES

(1) RPI: Ave price - Cigarettes 20 king size filter

(2) Using point-of-sale data to examine tobacco pricing across neighbourhoods in Scotland

(3) Tobacco Products Duty rates

(4) Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping: what you need to know

(5) The history of tobacco and our health

(6) ASH Scotland: Cost of smoking

(7) NHS Inform: Calculate my savings

(8) Latest Cochrane Review finds high certainty evidence that nicotine e-cigarettes are more effective than traditional nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT) in helping people quit smoking

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Written by Dan Overgage

Dan Overgage is a former smoker of 10 years until he became a client of SMOKO E-Cigarettes.  Dan started working with SMOKO 5 years ago after successfully quitting using our e-cigarettes and works across our Customer Service and heads up our content creation and research with a strong focus on all things quitting smoking.  During his tenure with SMOKO, Dan has written countless blogs and consults with countless clients every day to help them to stay smoke-free.