The most expensive countries for cigarette smokers are revealed, up to £42 per pack

• A pack of cigarettes cost £42 in the Marshall Islands, the most expensive in the world.
• Australia and Turkmenistan follow on in second and third place, at £23.96 and £20.14 for a pack, respectively.
• Mali is the cheapest country in the world to buy cigarettes, costing just 72p.
• Vape Superstore reveals the cost of smoking around the world.
• Australia is the second most expensive country for smokers, with a pack of cigarettes costing £23.96 ($48.80 AUD)

The tobacco market is valued at over $1 trillion, and is projected to increase to $1.2 trillion by 2032¹.

Every country in the world has tobacco products to sell to its citizens, but where is the most expensive place to buy a pack of cigarettes? Vaping experts, Vape Superstore, have analysed the cost of cigarettes in each country to reveal where smokers spend the most on cigarettes.

The Marshall Islands pay the most for one pack of cigarettes

Residents in the Marshall Islands pay £42 for one pack of cigarettes, the highest price in the world. The remote island, 2,600 miles away from Australia, has a population of 37,000 people. The island relies on air and ship freight for deliveries due to its remote location, which inflates prices for a pack of cigarettes on the island. 

Australia is the second most expensive country for smokers, with a pack of cigarettes costing £23.96 ($48.80 AUD). The increased price of cigarettes in Australia is due to high tobacco taxes aimed at reducing the smoking rate across the country².

The third most expensive country for cigarettes is Turkmenistan, with the average price of a pack costing £20.14 (94.68 TMT). Similar to Australia, cigarettes are expensive due to the country’s high tobacco taxes to reduce the smoking rate. WHO set out goals in 2017 to reduce smoking prevalence by 30% by introducing a 75% tax rate³. 

Table: Top 20 most expensive countries to buy a pack of cigarettes 

Mali is the cheapest country to buy cigarettes in

The West African country of Mali is the cheapest country in the world to buy a pack of cigarettes, costing 72p (543 XOF). Mali doesn’t enforce a specific tax on tobacco products, even though this is a requirement by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), making the products cheaper for citizens⁴. In addition, there is a high saturation of cigarettes in Mali with an estimated 4.6 billion surplus cigarettes each year coming in from South Africa.⁵. 

Chad follows as the second-cheapest country to buy a pack of cigarettes, costing 76p (573.58 CFA), and Guinea comes in third place, costing 86p (10,009.70 GNF). Both African countries have low taxes on tobacco products, with Chad specifically not aligning taxes with salaries, making cigarettes cheaper for citizens to access.

Table: Top 20 cheapest countries to buy a pack of cigarettes 

David Phillips at Vape Superstore said:

“Understanding how much a pack of cigarettes can cost around the world can inform travellers on how much they could expect to spend, whilst also highlighting the difference between cigarettes and vapes. Smoking can cost significantly more than vapes, especially depending on how many cigarettes people smoke in a week. With vaping being more affordable, it’s clear to see why people are choosing to make the switch. It’s also important to check travel restrictions before travelling, as countries such as Thailand, Singapore, and Mexico have a complete ban on entry with vapes.”