Estimated reading time: 6 minutes If we already know that vaping is cheaper than smoking, what are the savings? We have deciphered the budget of a vaper for you, compared to that of a smoker.
Tobacco Price VS Electronic Cigarette Highlights in Numbers
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| Light Smoker | Average Smokers | Heavy Smoker | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tobacco | €730 | €1680 | €3240 |
| Vape | €200 | €350 | €450 |
We compared the cost of tobacco to the cost of vaping over a year for different types of smokers:
Among the arguments made for regularly using electronic cigarettes is the price. With successive increases in the price of a pack of cigarettes, the question of smoking costs compared to vaping is legitimate. As a reminder, the government has planned several increases that will raise the price of a pack to €10 by the end of 2020.
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Electronic Cigarette: A Quickly Amortized Investment
In the medium and long term, the savings achieved by transitioning to vaping will be evaluated. The initial budget for a smoker is low. In fact, they only need a lighter and a pack to start. On the other hand, a vaper will need to invest in a beginner kit ready for vaping. While a beginner kit may suffice at first, the cost will be slightly higher. However, if you continue reading, you will see that the investment pays for itself in no time!
Investment for a beginner smoker: one pack of cigarettes and a lighter = €10 (€9 for the pack, €1 for the lighter)
Investment for a starter vaper : a ready-to-vape kit with 1 e-liquid = €19.90 for the Ego Aio Eco Kit, delivered with a Fifty Classico M e-liquid.
The Ego Aio Eco kit from the Fifty brand is perfect for beginners! Certainly, it is at a low price, but it is characterized, first of all, by its ease of use and quality of vaporization. It provides a good throat hit and the vapor production is excellent. Additionally, it is compact and will suit discreet vape enthusiasts accordingly.
Vaping is cheaper than smoking from the first month!
Let’s continue our little calculations. To evaluate the financial sector that has been realized in the best possible way, we must remember that smoking and vaping can cost more or less. In this regard, we have segmented the budget based on typologies: light smokers, average smokers, and heavy smokers. On the vaping side, we base our calculations on estimates of the duration of an e-liquid bottle. The equivalence of a bottle is compared by some to a pack of cigarettes (10 packs, 200 cigarettes). One pack would therefore be equivalent to 1 ml of e-liquid. To set the prices, we relied on numerous testimonials from vapers on this issue.
However, be careful, the equivalence of vapor/cigarettes depends on the equipment used and the habits of the vaper. Therefore, to determine our estimates as accurately as possible, we estimated that 10 ml was equivalent to 8 packs of cigarettes. Additionally, the weekly amount is based on an average of 4.34 weeks per month. We have deliberately excluded advanced equipment and the enthusiast of advanced DIY preferences from our calculations.
Tobacco Vape: Cost Differences for Each Type of Smoking
The Cost of Tobacco and Vape for a Light Smoker
Let’s start with the smoker. A light smoker consumes between 1 and 5 cigarettes a day or 7 packs per month. A pack of classic cigarettes costs on average €9 and contains 20 cigarettes.
A light smoker who consumes less than 5 cigarettes a day therefore spends a maximum of €61 per month.
For a light smoker, the vaping calculation is described as follows:
- Equipment purchase: €19.90 (including e-liquid)
- Consumables (coils): 2 per month, or €2.10 × 2 or €4.20
- Price of an e-liquid refill: €4.90 for example for the Classic Brown Roykin
- Liquid Consumption: 2 per
Month Therefore, based on an e-liquid for 8 packs, a light smoker will use between one and two e-liquids per month.
Thus, with the vaping kit, the cost of the first month is around €30.
Finally, a light smoker will save nearly €40 from the first month by switching to vaping. Even if two or three e-liquids are used per month, they will continue to save money and pay at least twice as much.
The Cost of Vape and Tobacco for an Average Smoker
An average smoker smokes about a dozen cigarettes a day. So they consume a pack every two days. They smoke 3.5 packs a week and 15.19 per month.
The cost of smoking for an average smoker is therefore around €140 per month.
On the vaping side, still based on the purchase of a beginner kit delivered with an e-liquid of €19.90, the calculation is described as follows:
- Equipment purchase: €19.90 (including e-liquid)
- Consumables (coils): 2 per month, or €2.10 × 2 or €4.20
- Price of an e-liquid refill: €4.90 for example for Classic Brown Roykin
- Number of times per month spent on e-liquid: between 2 and 3
An average vaper will spend about €40 in their first month of vaping.
In conclusion, an average smoker will save nearly €100 compared to vaping. Vaping is cheaper than smoking, and the more you smoke, the more it shows in our wallet!
The Cost of Vape and Tobacco for a Heavy Smoker
A heavy smoker smokes an average of one pack every day. They therefore spend €9 every day. They smoke 30 packs a month.
The cost of tobacco for a heavy smoker is therefore around €270 per month.
If they switch to vaping, they will spend:
- Equipment purchase: €19.90 (including one e-liquid)
- Consumables (coils): 2 per month, or €2.10 × 2 or €4.20
- Price of an e-liquid refill: €4.90 with 16 mg of nicotine for example for the Classic M Roykin model.
- Number of e-liquids consumed per month: between 4 and 5
A heavy smoker who switches to vaping will spend just under €50 in the first month.
A heavy smoker saves nearly €230 from the first month of vaping.
And you will see that it is even more impressive if you perform the calculation over the year.
Vaping is cheaper than smoking, especially in the long term
Here, the calculations become tricky. It is impossible to try to estimate the cost of smoking compared to vaping, especially in the long term, without delving into the differences in device prices.
Therefore, the annual cost of vaping with a beginner kit is approximately:
- €200 (€19.90 for the kit then €15 per month) for a light smoker
- €350 (€19.90 for the kit then €25 per month) for an average smoker
- €450 (€19.90 for the kit then €35 per month) for a heavy smoker (20 cigarettes per day)
- €550 (€19.90 for the kit then €45 per month) for a very heavy smoker (30 cigarettes per day)
Indeed, the price change depends on the choice of e-liquid and actual consumption. Some vapers also choose DIY to reduce the cost of e-liquids.
We must adjust our calculations to the type of equipment, provided that advanced devices cost more fluids than beginner devices. Vaping will always cost less than smoking with higher-end equipment. However, the amortization will be longer.
For example, take the Kroma A Zenith kit — Innokin. It costs €74.90 when purchased. It is also necessary to change the coil, which is changed about twice a month. The Zenith coils are sold for this kit. Vapers using advanced devices have a higher consumption of e-liquids. They vape from 5 to 10 ml per day or a bottle of €4.90 per day.
The cost of vaping with an advanced kit such as the Innokin Kroma A Zenith Kit is therefore approximately:
- €400 (€74.90 for the kit then €30 per month) for a light smoker
- €650 (€74.90 for the kit then €50 per month) for an average smoker
- €850 (€74.90 for the kit then €70 per month) for a heavy smoker (20 cigarettes per day)
- €1200 (€74.90 for the kit then €90 per month) for a very heavy smoker (30 cigarettes per day)
On the other hand, advanced vapers are often DIY enthusiasts, producing their own e-liquids. This helps reduce costs:
- 1 liter of PG/VG base costs about €15,
- Flavors are diluted to about 10% and cost around €5,
- Nicotine, which is generally used in small quantities in DIY, costs €1 per
With 1 liter of base, 30 flavors, and 60 boosters, you spend about €225 on 200 bottles of liquid dosed at 6 mg. This corresponds to paying only €1.13 per 10 ml bottle!
We will then share their annual expenses in cash over 3!
Of course, these calculations need to be put into perspective; it is still complex to compare cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Has the electronic cigarette made savings? Enter your calculations of savings made by vaping in the comments.
Tag: Do we save money with e-liquid?