If you smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, how much are you spending per week? What about per month, or per year?
Can you really save money by switching to vaping?
Even if you smoke hand-rolled cigarettes, chances are you’re still paying a pretty penny for those precious rollies compared to vaping.
Let’s take a look at what the numbers say. Spoiler alert: it’s cheaper to switch to vaping. And while different types of devices will cost different amounts over time, they’ll still add up cheaper than smoking by a long shot.
How much does it cost to smoke cigarettes?
If you smoke a pack a day at an average price of £13.60 in the UK, that definitely adds up over time. We won’t bother factoring in the cost of lighters and so on, as these numbers alone speak for themselves.
| Product | Daily Cost | Weekly Cost | Monthly Cost | Yearly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cigarettes (1 pack per day) |
£13.60 |
£95.20 |
£408 |
£4,964 |
Yikes. Now, if you smoked hand-rolled cigarettes, you’d definitely save money compared to smoking pre-rolled packs, but the cost will still ramp up over time.
An average 30g pouch of tobacco costs roughly £13 and produces around 50 cigarettes, which comes out to around £5.20 for 20. This is cheaper than pre-rolled cigarettes, or “straights,” but can still add up. You also have to factor in the cost of filters and papers, though this might seem insignificant. Papers will cost you around 30p per day, and filters will cost roughly the same.
| Product | Daily Cost | Weekly Cost | Monthly Cost | Yearly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rolling tobacco, papers, and filters (x20 cigarettes per day) |
£5.80 |
£40.60 |
£174 |
£2,117 |
How much does it cost to vape?
Now that we’ve established the extortionate cost of smoking, it should be obvious that you can easily save money by making the switch. How much money you save is dependent on a number of factors—but generally speaking, you won’t spend more on vaping than you would on smoking.
All of these prices are estimates and can vary based on which UK vape store you buy from, and also, which type of device you purchase.
Generally, the more hands-on maintenance the device requires, the less it will cost you in the long run. You’ll save the most money by choosing a refillable vape, but you can also save money simply by switching from smoking to disposable vapes.
Let’s take a look at the breakdown of how much each type of vape will cost you over time. We’ve taken these prices from several price-matched online vape retailers here in the UK.
Disposable Vapes
Disposables will cost you the most out of all the available vape hardware, as these devices are designed to be vaped straight out of the packaging until they’re empty, then discarded. Still, you’ll save money over time compared to smoking cigarettes.
With disposable vapes, you won’t have to worry about maintenance, and you also won’t have to deal with extra costs for accessories or E-Liquids. A disposable vape contains everything you need, but for the average smoker, a single disposable will likely only last you about a day.
Below, you’ll find a breakdown of the cost over time. For this table, we’re using a multi-buy offer of 3 disposable vapes for £12, so each disposable costs £4. You’ll notice that you’ll save money by switching, even if you smoke hand-rolled cigarettes and opt for the most expensive vaping option.
| Product | Daily Cost | Weekly Cost | Monthly Cost | Yearly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Disposable vape (1 per day) |
£4 |
£24 |
£120 |
£1,460 |
Pre-Filled Pod System
Pre-filled pod systems are a middle-ground between a disposable vape and a refillable vape. If you’re looking to save money by making the switch, this is definitely a step up from disposables. With this type of device, you have a rechargeable battery, to which you attach pre-filled pods—or, cartridges. You vape these pods until they’re empty, then discard the entire pod and replace it with a new one.
This type of vape allows you to pay one small upfront cost for the device itself, and after that, you’ll purchase pods separately. These pods come in a variety of flavours, though you are more limited in your selection compared to a refillable kit. It’s important to note that most pods are designed to be compatible with specific models of vapes—for instance, the Elf Bar Mate 500 kit is only compatible with Elf Bar Mate 500 pods.
For this table, we’re using the latest Elf Bar pre-filled kit: the Elfa. This kit costs £7.99 up front, and replacement pods are sold in packs of 2 for £5.99 (making the pods £2.99 each). You’ll use roughly one pod per day.
| Product | Daily Cost | Weekly Cost | Monthly Cost | Yearly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Pre-filled vape device (upfront cost) + 1 pod per day |
£10.98 |
£28.92 |
£97.69 |
£1,099.34 |
Refillable Pod System
Refillable vapes are the best option if you’re looking to save money. And if you’re making the switch, it’s a good idea to get a low-powered starter kit which is compatible with nic salts—the best E-Liquid option for recent ex-smokers.
Pod kits come in many shapes and sizes in a variety of price ranges, so for this table, we’ve chosen a reliable starter pod system which utilises disposable refillable pods. For this type of pod device, you don’t have to worry about changing coils—instead, the coil is pre-fitted inside the pod, and when it starts to taste burnt or loses its flavour, you simply discard the entire pod and replace it with a new one. This allows you to fill the vape with any compatible E-Liquid, without all the maintenance of a more involved vape kit.
We’ve chosen the Eleaf IORE Lite pod kit for this table, which costs just £9.99 up front. The replacement pods are sold in packs of 2 for £6.99, and each pod should last you about a week before it needs replacing. When it comes to E-Liquids, we’re using a mix & match 4 for £10 E-Liquids deal, which comes out to £2.50 per 10ml bottle. You’ll vape roughly 2ml per day.
| Product | Daily Cost | Weekly Cost | Monthly Cost | Yearly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Device (upfront) |
£9.99 |
£9.99 |
£9.99 |
£9.99 |
|
E-Liquids (2ml per day) |
£0.50 |
£3.50 |
£15 |
£182.50 |
|
Replacement Pods (1 per week) |
N/A |
£3.50 |
£14 |
£182 |
|
TOTAL COST |
£10.49 |
£16.99 |
£38.99 |
£374.49 |
You read that right. Vaping will undoubtedly help you save money—over £4,500 per year, in fact, if you’re switching from smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.
Conclusion
So, now you should understand how easy it is to save money by making the switch to vaping. You could save over £4,500 per year by making the switch—nevermind the health benefits!
So, if you’ve been reluctant to make the switch after seeing all of the vape hardware, accessories, and vape juices on the market: fear not. It may seem like an expensive habit, but once you break down the costs, you’ll definitely save money in the long run!
Want to see more vaping guides? Check out our guides section!
