Australia is consistently ranked as the country where cigarettes are the most expensive, with prices driven up by heavy taxation aimed at reducing smoking rates.
Geographically, high cigarette prices tend to be concentrated in states along the northern coasts, such as New York and Washington D.C. in the Mid-Atlantic region, Rhode Island and Connecticut in the “New England” area, Illinois and Wisconsin along the Great Lakes in the upper Midwest, and Washington, Oregon, and ...
With a typical pack of cigarettes costing $48.37 AUD – the most expensive of over 100 countries in our rankings – Australia is seeing a -0.38% change in smokers year on year, with just 9.7% of the population currently using cigarettes.
Figure 13.9. 3 shows cigarette affordability for Australia compared to select countries in 2012 to 2022. Among these countries, cigarettes were least affordable in Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and South Africa, and most affordable in Singapore, United States, and Switzerland.
Cigarettes are so expensive in Australia primarily due to extremely high tobacco excise taxes and customs duties, implemented through large annual increases (like the 12.5% hikes from 2013-2020 and further 5% rises from 2023) as a public health strategy to discourage smoking by making them unaffordable. These taxes now account for a huge portion of the final retail price, making Australia's cigarettes among the world's most expensive and driving significant illicit trade.
Australia actually increased its taxation on tobacco more quickly than NZ did between 2016 and 2022, which should have driven a faster decline, especially among lower-income smokers. Indeed, cigarettes are less expensive in NZ than in Australia.
Australia currently has the highest retail and among the least affordable prices in the world (see two graphs below), and no one disputes that those who buy cheap illegal cigarettes here, as in every country which has illegal tobacco trade, are motivated alone by lower prices.
In Australia during 2025, a pack of 20 cigarettes typically cost around A$40 to over A$50, with prices climbing due to significant tobacco excise tax increases, with some estimates placing popular brands near A$43 and average prices exceeding A$40, potentially reaching A$50 by 2026. An increase in September 2025 pushed the tax on a pack to nearly A$30.
Children aged under 18 years are not permitted to bring tobacco products into Australia. If you are aged 18 or over, you are allowed to bring in duty-free: one unopen packet of up to 25 cigarettes or 25 grams of other tobacco products and. one open packet of cigarettes.
The Cost of Living in Australia vs the USA
Both countries rank among the top 20 countries in the world for the highest cost of living, but Australia's cost of living is slightly lower than that of the U.S. Note that the cost of rent in Australia is 20% cheaper than what you'll find in the U.S. – a striking difference.
Light smokers have been classified as smoking less than 1 pack/day, less than 15 cig/day, less than 10 cig/day, and smoking 1–39 cig/week (9, 14).
Smoking rates between males and females
The smoking percentage of men in 2016 is 16%, while the smoking percentage of women is 12%. Men have consistently shown to have a higher tendency to smoke daily than women.
Here is an estimate of the average price of a pack of tobacco, compared with the European average:
Q3: How much do cigarettes cost in Japan? A: As of 2025, prices for most major brands range from 580 to 650 yen per pack of 20. Prices can change, but this is a general guideline.
During the 13-year period (2006–2018) when tobacco taxes were significantly increased in Vietnam, cigarettes have even become more affordable because the tax increases have failed to keep pace with income growth.
The cheapest cigarettes are generally found in the "super value" segment of legal tobacco or, more commonly, through the booming illegal tobacco market, driven by high taxes on legal packs (often $50+ in places like Australia), with illicit packs selling for as low as $15-$20, though these come with risks and quality issues, making brands like Classic, Rothmans, and generic options the cheapest legal choices.
200 cigarettes, or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250g of tobacco* (including shisha tobacco) or 200 sticks of tobacco for heating.
Cigarettes in Australia are very expensive due to high taxes, with a standard pack of 20 costing around $45 to $50 AUD as of late 2025/early 2026, and prices are expected to rise further with annual excise increases, potentially reaching over $50 by 2026. A pack of 25 from leading brands can cost nearly $49, with taxes making up a significant portion of the price.
Carry-On Luggage: Cigarettes are allowed in your carry-on bag. Pack them securely to avoid damage, and ensure they are accessible for inspection if needed. Checked Luggage: They can also be packed in checked luggage. Use a sturdy container or the original packaging to prevent them from being crushed.
Results. On average, monthly e-cigarette spending was $82.22, and cigarette spending was $118.77 among dual users.
Cigarettes are so expensive in Australia primarily due to extremely high tobacco excise taxes and customs duties, implemented through large annual increases (like the 12.5% hikes from 2013-2020 and further 5% rises from 2023) as a public health strategy to discourage smoking by making them unaffordable. These taxes now account for a huge portion of the final retail price, making Australia's cigarettes among the world's most expensive and driving significant illicit trade.
A pack-year is used to describe how many cigarettes you have smoked in your lifetime, with a pack equal to 20 cigarettes. If you have smoked a pack a day for the last 20 years, or two packs a day for the last 10 years, you have 20 pack-years.
Australia's love affair with illegal tobacco has seen the federal government's tobacco excise revenue fall dramatically since 2020, from more than $16 billion to $7.4 billion in 2025, with further falls forecast. Last month the federal excise on tobacco rose a further 5 per cent on top of regular indexing.
Where is the tax highest? The following chart shows the countries where the total tax on cigarettes is the highest percentage of the final price. The data is taken from the latest available year, 2014. Bosnia and Herzegovina emerges on top, with 86% of the total price of cigarettes made up of tax.
These changes are a requirement of Australia's new tobacco laws, which aim to protect Australians from the health harms of smoking. Each cigarette pack will have 20 sticks, filtered or little cigar packs will have 20 cigars and roll-your-own pouches will have 30 grams of tobacco.