How Much Does Vaping Cost Compared To Smoking?

Did you know that a typical smoker in the UK will spend about £2,920 a year on their habit? ⁽¹⁾ For perspective, the average annual energy bill for a 2-3 person household is £1,769.(2) Following the Spring Budget announcment earlier this year, the standard price for a pack of cigarettes in the UK has gone up to £16. Smoking is literally burning a hole in your pocket and if the health incentives don't motivate you then the financial ones should.

So how much does vaping cost in 2025 and how much does vaping really save you compared to smoking? In this article, we are going to break down the cost of vaping over a year, compare it to cigarette prices and show you how you can spend up to 4 times less when you switch to vaping.

How Much Does Reusable Vaping Cost a Year?

Refillable vape kits in the UK cost around £320 per year, making them over 85% cheaper than smoking. A starter kit costs £10–£20 upfront, with monthly costs for coils (£10) and e-liquids (£15). Multi-buy deals can lower e-liquid prices further, making refillable vapes a budget-friendly, long-term option.

A refillable pod kit needs coils to vaporise the e-liquid and they typically last between 1-2 weeks, depending on your use. This works out to approximately £10 a month or £120 per year.

How much e-liquid you use will depend on your personal consumption and your nicotine strength. A 10ml bottle of nic salt bought on a multi-buy 4 for £10 deal will cost e-liquid cost £2.50 and can deliver up to 3000 puffs per bottle. On average 6 x 10ml bottles should last you a month. You'll spend about £180 a year on e-liquid.

Cost of Refillable Vaping Example

Here is a detailed breakdown of how much vaping will cost you in 2025:

• Vape Starter Kit: £10-£20 (one-time cost)

• Coils: £10 (per month)

• E-liquid: £15 (per month - based on a 10ml bottle of nic salts at a 10mg strength, which will cost about £2.50 when purchased on a 4 for £10 multi-buy deal)

Cost of Refillable Vaping After the Vaping Tax Increase

Average Monthly Cost of Vaping: £40

Average Annual Cost of Vaping: £480

Even after the new vape levy kicks in, vaping will still be more than 6 times cheaper than smoking a 10 a day habit.

What is the Cost of a Refillable Vape Kit?

Here is an example of how much a full setup for a refillable vape would cost using one of Vape Superstore's best selling starter kits, the Vaporesso XROS Mini:

How Much Do Disposable Vapes Cost?

Disposable vapes are a fantastic entry point for beginners as they have no learning curve and are over 4 times cheaper than smoking. Whilst not nearly as economical as a refillable vape kit, disposable vapes still offer huge savings when compared to tobacco.

A disposable will set you back about £4 for a device that delivers 600 puffs which should last you between 1-2 days, depending on use. This is based on using a multi-buy 5 for £20 disposables deal at Vape Superstore.

Assuming you use one every two days, the cost of using disposables is:

• £14 per week
• £60 per month
• £730 per year

Disposables will be banned on 1st June 2025. After that your only options will be prefilled pod kits and refillable devices, which come in at a lot cheaper with relatively little hassle - so good news really!

The Cost of Vaping vs Smoking

 Switching to vaping could see you spending up to 3 times less per year.

A refillable pod kit works out at £2,264 cheaper per year than a 10-a-day smoking habit.

Such a substantial saving like that can, along with the health benefits, provide a tangible motivation to help you make the switch to vaping.

The Cost of Cigarettes in the UK

Cigarette prices in the UK have gone up a colossal 200% from £5.33 in 2007 to an average cost of £16 ⁽³⁾, and rolling tobacco now averages at £10.54 per 30g pouch.

Our Vaping Starter Kit Recommendations

You can save even more with Vape Superstore's bundle deals, grab a full setup and save up to 25%!