How much is a pack of cigarettes in Canada?
Between about $9 and $25 a pack depending where you are. Ontario is the cheapest of the provinces; the territories are the most expensive. The difference is almost entirely provincial tobacco tax.
Why the same cigarettes cost triple in one province
Provincial tobacco tax is charged per cigarette and set by each province independently. The cigarettes coming off the line are the same. What changes between Ontario and Nunavut is tax, and it changes a lot.
That's also why cross-border and on-reserve prices look so different from shop prices. Remove the provincial tax component and what's left is the actual cost of the product.
What it costs without provincial tobacco tax
Sold on Six Nations territory, a budget carton is $24.95 on its own and $17.25 at thirty cartons — $1.73 a pack.
Against a national retail range of roughly $9 to $25 a pack, that's a saving of somewhere between 80% and 93% depending on your province.
A pack by province, and what the same cigarettes cost on territory
| Province | A pack there | A carton there | Our pack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | $9.00–$16.00 | $90–$160 | $1.73 |
| Quebec | $10.00–$13.00 | $100–$130 | $1.73 |
| Alberta | $14.00–$17.00 | $140–$170 | $1.73 |
| Manitoba | $14.00–$17.00 | $140–$170 | $1.73 |
| Saskatchewan | $14.00–$17.00 | $140–$170 | $1.73 |
| British Columbia | $15.00–$18.00 | $150–$180 | $1.73 |
| Nova Scotia | $15.00–$18.00 | $150–$180 | $1.73 |
| New Brunswick | $15.00–$18.00 | $150–$180 | $1.73 |
| Prince Edward Island | $15.00–$18.00 | $150–$180 | $1.73 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $18.00–$20.00 | $180–$200 | $1.73 |
| Yukon | $19.00–$23.00 | $190–$230 | $1.73 |
| Northwest Territories | $19.00–$23.00 | $190–$230 | $1.73 |
| Nunavut | $20.00–$25.00 | $200–$250 | $1.73 |
Retail ranges are typical shop prices in each province once provincial tobacco tax is applied. Our column is the wholesale price at thirty cartons in the Budget group.