The Real Price of Cigarettes

How much is smoking really worth to you? We all know about its health hazards and the recent controversy surrounding rising cigarette prices; smokers, however, are still more than willing to continue the habit regardless of the price of cigarettes, whether health- or finance-wise.

Cigarette prices, especially in the U.S., fluctuate often. The excise tax levied on these products varies from state to state. New York City carries the highest cigarette prices to date, with a price tag of around $10 to $12 per pack. This has led enterprising smokers to find more ways to look for cigarettes for sale, both online and in real life. Online sellers can usually offer a lower price of cigarettes due to state tax loopholes. In real life, customers buy duty-free cigarettes, which are almost tax-free.

The average price of cigarettes changes depending on the state you live in, and as mentioned, New York City charges the highest price of cigarettes. This is because the city has been issuing a heavier crackdown on smoking and its hazards—some people call these exorbitant cigarette prices the result of a “wellness tax”—and, in part, due to the numerous Indian cigarettes for sale in upstate New York, while other cigarette brands and prices remain consistent (albeit really high) throughout New York City. Several other American states offer cigarettes for sale at lower cigarette prices, which is why some people like purchasing online instead.

Duty-Free Cigarettes and their Advantages

Frequent flyers often stop by the airport duty-free shop to stock up on traveler’s essentials such as pillows, headphones and snacks. Smarter shoppers, however, know that these shops are also the best place to get their duty-free cigarettes. Duty-free cigarettes have a lower average price of cigarettes than others because they are free of excise or state tax—after all, the assumption is you’re consuming them out of the country. You can find a lot of cigarette brands, and prices will surprise you at these shops. Most of them will even be lower than those of the cigarettes for sale at your local neighborhood store. They also sell by carton, so these cigarettes’ prices are divided by 20 packs, making for a much more economical tobacco purchase than if you had gone to the corner convenience store for your smokes.