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NC · Southeast · 2026 prices

Cigarette Prices in North Carolina

A pack of cigarettes in North Carolina costs $5.95 on average — 29% below the US average of $8.39. State excise tax accounts for 8% of the retail price ($0.45 per pack), on top of the $1.01 federal tax. A pack-a-day smoker in North Carolina spends $2,172 per year — $891 less than the national average.

#46 most expensive of 51 jurisdictions · #11 in the Southeast · 14.3% of adults smoke

Your daily cost
$0.00

at 20 cigarettes a day · $5.95 per pack · North Carolina

LiveSince you landed:$0burned
Yearly
$2,172
10 years
$21,718
30 years
$65,153
If invested at 7%
$32,106

What if you invested it instead?

30-year growth · $2,172/year at 7%

compounded annually
$0k$51k$103k$154k$205k
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Your cost breakdown

What a pack a day costs in North Carolina.

The raw numbers, before compounding — just the arithmetic of a habit at North Carolina prices.

Yearly cost (1 pack/day)
$2,172

$5.95 per pack × 365 days

30-year lifetime cost
$65,153

Before compounding, at constant prices

How it compares

North Carolina vs. the rest of the country.

See where North Carolina sits in the national ranking and how its neighbors stack up.

5 cheapest states

  1. 1. Missouri$5.21
  2. 2. Georgia$5.67
  3. 3. Alabama$5.85
  4. 4. Virginia$5.85
  5. 5. Mississippi$5.95

5 most expensive states

  1. 1. New York$12.85
  2. 2. District of Columbia$11.50
  3. 3. Rhode Island$11.20
  4. 4. Connecticut$11.00
  5. 5. Massachusetts$10.55

North Carolina cigarette prices — frequently asked

The average retail price of a 20-cigarette pack in North Carolina is $5.95. This includes the $1.01 federal excise tax, the $0.45 North Carolina state excise tax, and state/local sales tax.
North Carolina charges $0.45 in state excise tax per pack (8% of the retail price), on top of the $1.01 federal tax. The US state-tax average is $2.05 per pack.
At $5.95 per pack, a pack-a-day smoker in North Carolina spends $2,172 per year at the register. Over 30 years that is $65,153 — before compounding.
The US national average is $8.39 per pack. North Carolina is -29% (less) expensive than average. Lower state taxes make North Carolina one of the cheaper states for cigarettes.
Visit smokefree.gov or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for free, evidence-based help quitting in North Carolina.
Sourced fromCDC·WHO·NHS·American Lung Association