When people consider using a vape to help them quit smoking, there’s one concern we hear again and again: the cost.
Admittedly, switching to e-cigarettes can sound pretty expensive. Instead of just buying your pack of cigarettes, vapers have to buy multiple types of equipment and e-liquid.
So, the big question is: is vaping cheaper than smoking? And how much does vaping cost, really?
In this blog post, we’ll break down the cost of vaping and smoking to find out if you can save money by vaping instead of smoking cigarettes.
How much does smoking cigarettes cost?
Let’s be real: cigarette smoking is a pretty expensive habit. The UK has placed relatively high taxes on cigarettes to discourage smoking, meaning that being a smoker here is more expensive than in many other countries. One website calculates the cost of a smoking habit at £4,841.20 per year, equating to nearly £100,000 after 20 years of smoking. Yikes!
How expensive is vaping?
With the cost of smoking cigarettes so high, let’s see if vaping is any cheaper. Here’s a breakdown of all the costs associated with your vape.
A vape kit
The first thing you’ll need to buy when taking up vaping is your vape kit. Starter kits can range in price from around £14 to £40, depending on the features and brand of the e-cigarette.
For example, some of our cheapest starter kits include the Innokin Endura T20-S Vape Kit, the Lost Vape Ursa Mini Pod Kit, the Smok Vape Pen V2 Vape Kit, and the Uwell Caliburn A2 Pod Kit, which all cost less than £20.
But, spending a little more on your vape kit can bring a range of more advanced features and capabilities for sub-ohm vaping, adjustable airflow and wattage, and an all-round superior vaping experience. For under £30, you can enjoy the increased power and features of the Smok RPM 5, the OXVA Origin X 60W Pod Kit, or the Voopoo Drag S Pod Mod Kit.
Many people assume that vaping with a good kit can be very expensive, but in reality the cost of a vape kit is fairly low. Keep in mind that your vape will last you a long time – this makes the upfront cost of an e-cigarette seem very reasonable.
Replacement coils or pods
Of course, the e-cigarette itself isn’t the only cost involved when you start to vape. You’ll also need to buy replacement coils or pods to keep your kit working.
Replacement coils can vary in cost depending on the material, style, and brand. Ranging from about £3 for a pack of standard coils to up to £13 for a really high quality set of advanced mesh coils, the cost of your vape coils really depends on how frequently you are vaping. Heavy vapers will need to replace their coils once a week or every few days, while the average vaper will find that they only need to change coils every two weeks and infrequent vapers may only change their coils monthly. Assuming a vaper buys a pack of 3 coils for £8, the cost of e-cigarette coil replacements can range from below £50 to up to £140 a year for the most frequent vapers.
If you opt for a pod kit, replacement vape pods cost around £2 to £11 for a pack containing a few pods. Most pods can be refilled with e-liquid around 10 times before they need replacing, so, depending on how frequently you vape, a pod can last anywhere from a few weeks to months before it needs changing. This means that vaping with a pod kit is very cheap.
E-liquid
Finally, the last expense involved in vaping is e-liquid. The average price of this can vary depending on the type of e-liquid you use, how frequently you vape, and what type of vaping device you use.
At a couple of pounds a pop, 10ml bottles of nicotine salt are not expensive. Ranging from £2.50 to £3.50, all the nic salts we stock at Legion of Vapers are low cost and high quality, providing a great vaping experience without breaking the bank.
Our shortfills are available in bigger 50ml, 100ml, or 150ml bottles which are more expensive but are better value for money and will last you a long time. Moreover, with frequent sales and multi-buy offers, it’s easy to get your nicotine salts and e-liquids super cheap.
Keep in mind that your vaping style will also impact how quickly you need to refill your e-liquid. Using a low powered pod kit or vape pen with nicotine salts is a more economical option for your vape juice, while more powerful sub-ohm kits guzzle the liquid at a significantly faster rate. If you are trying to vape on a budget, we recommend picking a pod kit and nic salts for the cheapest possible option.
So, how much does vaping cost?
The short answer: not very much at all compared to smoking cigarettes!
Although ex-smokers may shy away from the high upfront cost of buying their starter kit, the price of your vape device plus all the pods, coils, and e-liquid you might need still equates to far less than the amount of money people spend on smoking. With all the vape equipment and e-liquid you need costing in the hundreds each year rather than the thousands, it’s clear that vaping costs a fraction of the price of smoking.
Moreover, there’s one thing that you can’t put a price on: your health.
Estimates from Public Health England suggest that using a vape is 95% less harmful than smoking. The health risks of being a cigarette smoker are high and switching to e-cigarettes is far better for your health.
We know how difficult it can be to transition from tobacco to e-cigarettes, which is why we created Legion of Vapers to provide incredible vape products at unbeatable prices. We want to make vaping cheaper and more accessible to everyone so no matter your budget it’s possible for you to leave smoking behind.
Ready to quit smoking for good? Read our guide to choosing your first vape kit, or get in touch with any questions today!
