With the cost of living and inflation rising, but current wages in the UK seemingly stagnating, more and more people are feeling the pinch.
As people look to tighten their belts, one of the first things to go is luxuries and things that people can live without, like meals out and trips to the pub.
One of the biggest costs to people is smoking, with a pack of 20 cigarettes costing around £13 a time, it can be a significant drain on a person’s bank account.
Here, we examine the cost of smoking in the UK, whether you roll your own or buy packets of cigarettes. We’ll also look at how ZYN nicotine pouches can be a cheaper, reduced-risk alternative to smoking during the cost of living crisis and beyond…
What is the average cost of smoking per year?
According to guidance from the Office for National Statistics, the average price of 20 king-size cigarettes in the UK is £12.70.1 This works out at 63.5p per cigarette.
Even for those who only smoke socially, i.e. buying one pack per week, this will still cost over £650 per year. So, as the cost of living increases, it may be a good time to look for alternatives to the way you approach nicotine use.
Using this information, the cost of smoking 20 cigarettes per day is £4,635.50 a year. See how much smoking could be costing you per year with our cost of smoking calculator below.
What are the alternatives to smoking?
If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to smoking, using ZYN nicotine pouches may be for you.
Each can of ZYN costs £6.50 and includes 20 pouches that supply up to 30 minutes of nicotine per pouch. ZYN’s also available in several different strengths and flavours too, so you tailor your experience to suit your current nicotine intake.
Discover what strength of ZYN is right for you in our helpful blog, which explains how many milligrams of nicotine is in each strength of ZYN pouch.
[Post card: What Strength of ZYN is Right for You?]How to save money on ZYN pouches
Whether you’re yet to use ZYN or you’re a seasoned pro using our nicotine pouches, you can save money on our site…
- Get a free sample – if you’re new to ZYN, simply create an account, tick yes to get our emails, get your code, choose your preferred strength and flavour, and then enter the code at the checkout! It’s that easy.
- Sign up to our newsletter – stay in the loop for exclusive offers, content and product information, and receive 20% off your first order.
- Build your own bundle – try new flavours and strengths or stick to your favourites, whatever you choose, you can get 3 cans for £15 or 10 for £40 just by building your own ZYN bundle.
- Refer a friend – share your unique referral link with a friend and when they use it to place an order, you’ll receive £5 free credit to use on our website.
So, not only does a can of 20 ZYN pouches cost around half of a pack of 20 cigarettes, you can save even more money on our website.
To get to grips with all-things ZYN, including How to Use ZYN Nicotine Pouches, as well as information on What Happens When You Go Smoke-Free and if the number of people smoking has gone down, explore our blog.
Cost of smoking in the UK calculator
The table below calculates the daily, weekly, monthly and yearly cost of smoking in the UK based on an average cigarette price of 63.5 pence (rounded up to the nearest penny).
| Cigarettes per day | Daily cost smoking | Weekly cost of smoking | Monthly cost of smoking | Yearly cost of smoking |
| 1 | 63.5p | £4.45 | £17.80 | £231.78 |
| 2 | £1.27 | £8.89 | £35.56 | £436.55 |
| 3 | £1.91 | £13.34 | £53.34 | £697.15 |
| 4 | £2.54 | £17.78 | £71.12 | £927.10 |
| 5 | £3.18 | £22.23 | £88.90 | £1,160.07 |
| 6 | £3.81 | £26.67 | £106.68 | £1,390.65 |
| 7 | £4.45 | £31.12 | £124.45 | £1,624.25 |
| 8 | £5.08 | £35.56 | £142.24 | £1,854.20 |
| 9 | £5.72 | £40.01 | £160.01 | £2,087.80 |
| 10 | £6.35 | £44.45 | £177.80 | £2,317.75 |
| 11 | £6.99 | £48.90 | £195.56 | £2,551.35 |
| 12 | £7.62 | £53.34 | £213.36 | £2,781.30 |
| 13 | £8.26 | £57.79 | £231.14 | £3,014.90 |
| 14 | £8.89 | £62.23 | £248.92 | £3,244.85 |
| 15 | £9.53 | £66.68 | £266.70 | £3,478.45 |
| 16 | £10.16 | £71.12 | £284.48 | £3,708.40 |
| 17 | £10.80 | £75.57 | £302.26 | £3,942 |
| 18 | £11.43 | £80.01 | £320.04 | £4,171.95 |
| 19 | £12.07 | £84.46 | £337.82 | £4,405.55 |
| 20 | £12.70 | £88.90 | £355.60 | £4,635.50 |
How to Use ZYN Nicotine Pouches
Starting out using ZYN? Explore how to use them, how long to keep them in your mouth for, and more in this blog.
What Happens When You Go Smoke-Free?
Now you’ve made the decision to go smoke free, it’s important to understand what effects quitting will have on your body. We’ve put together a timeline of what happens when you stop smoking, so you can start your journey confidently.
Has the Number of People Smoking Gone Down?
Discover how many people smoke in the UK, and the best alternative to smoking following the imposed ban.
1 Office for National Statistics (2022) ‘RPI: Ave price – Cigarettes 20 king size filter’ <https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/timeseries/czmp> [Accessed: 12 September 2022]