A pack of 20 cigarettes in United States costs on average $8.39 in USD. About 11.5% of adults in United States currently smoke (2022 (NHIS adult); 2024 (NYTS youth) data, CDC). A pack-a-day smoker spends roughly $3062 per year at the register — and that is before you add the time, the health, or the compounding.
How the $8.39 is built: tax and price structure
~40-50% of pack price (combined federal + state + sales tax)
| Federal / national excise | $1.01 per pack |
| State / provincial excise | $0.17 (MO) to $5.35 (NY) per pack (2024) (avg $1.93 per pack (2024)) |
| VAT / GST | Sales tax 0-10% by state |
Source: CDC Economic Trends in Tobacco (Sep 2024) citing American Lung Association State of Tobacco Control 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/php/data-statistics/economic-trends/index.html
What cigarettes cost in United States: brand price ranges
The $8.39 national average hides a wide spread — discount brands are noticeably cheaper than premium.
| Brand | Typical price per pack of 20 |
|---|---|
| Marlboro | $8.50-$13.00 per pack |
| Newport | $9.00-$12.00 per pack |
| Camel | $8.00-$11.00 per pack |
| Natural American Spirit | $10.00-$14.00 per pack |
| Generic / discount | $5.00-$8.00 per pack |
Free help quitting in United States
United States has free, evidence-based programs. You do not need to quit alone.
1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669)
Free, confidential, staffed by trained counsellors.
Most private insurance and Medicaid cover FDA-approved cessation medications (NRT, varenicline, bupropion). ACA requires most private plans to cover cessation services without cost-sharing.
What makes United States different
- 01Adult cigarette smoking fell from ~42% (1965) to ~11.5% (2022) — a historic public health success.
- 02State cigarette excise tax varies ~31x between MO ($0.17) and NY ($5.35) per pack as of 2024.
- 03E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. youth since 2014; 7.8% of high schoolers vaped in 2024.
- 04Tobacco use costs the U.S. more than $600 billion annually in healthcare and lost productivity (CDC, 2018 dollars).
- 05FDA finalized a rule to ban menthol cigarettes in 2024, with enforcement tied up in litigation as of 2025.
In United States, a pack of 20 cigarettes costs on average $8.39 USD as of 2026. About 11.5% of US adults smoke, down from historical highs. Tax accounts for ~40-50% of pack price (combined federal + state + sales tax) of the pack price. Quitting saves the average smoker $3062 per year.