How much does a vape cost? Less than a smoking habit, I’ll tell you that much. Okay, bend my arm; I’ll tell you more. Vape kits come in a huge range of price points, though a piece of vital wisdom in vaping is that ‘most expensive’ never means ‘best for everyone.’
While certain assumptions can often be made, such as cheaper vape kits having fewer features, it’s still important to break down the specifics of how much a vape costs and what you can expect to sacrifice for the sake of value.
How Much Is a Vape?
The cost of a vape varies based on a few things:
- Construction materials used
- Battery capacity
- Advanced build designs
- Internal chipsets
- User modes and device features
As a result, basic puff pens tend to be cheaper, while your uber-powerful Boost Mode cloud kits are at the pricier end of the spectrum.
You get what you pay for, but remember that not everyone needs the most powerful kit. Why would you buy a monster truck if you need a bicycle to ride to the store?
If you’d like to skip to the end and miss out on great poetic comparisons like that, here’s a little breakdown:
| Vape Kit Type | MIST Price Range | Additional Costs |
| Basic Pod Kit | £8.99 – £39.99 | E-Liquid: £2-£14, Pods: £1.99 – £12.99 |
| MTL Kit | £15.99 – £43.99 | E-Liquid: £2-£14, Coils: £6.99 – £12.99 |
| Sub-Ohm Kit | £29.99 – £99.99 | E-Liquid: £2-£14 (consumes more), Coils: £6.99 – £16.99 |
Refillable Pod Vape
The refillable pod vape has become a reliable starter vape for many new vapers. Most are simple to use and demand little maintenance beyond replacing depleted e-liquid and worn-out pods/coils.
That being said, it’s not a one-size-fits-all genre of kits, and there are more advanced devices that cost a little more.
A basic draw-activated pod kit (with no extra features) often costs around £8.99 to £14.99. On the other hand, advanced pod kits cost between £24.99 and £39.99 since they have power adjustment, user modes, and other special features. Most — though not all — will come with a spare pod/coil, so there’s no need to purchase those immediately.
And e-liquid can cost as little as £2.20 a bottle as part of multi-buy deals.
Prefilled Vape
3 for £30 – Prefilled Pod Kit
apple berry blackberry blue raspberry blueberry bubblegum cherry kiwi lemon lemonade lime menthol peach pear pineapple strawberry
Prefilled vapes, which seek to usurp the throne held by disposable vapes, usually have a low price point as they are rarely devices intended for multiple months of use. They are rechargeable, and new prefilled pods or attachable ‘bottles’ are often available to extend the life of the device.
Prefilled vape kits usually cost between £7.49 and £12.99. The only maintenance costs are new prefilled pods and bottles, which cost around £2.99 – £6.99.
Box Mod Kit (RTA/RDA + Mod)
This is usually the more expensive end of the vaping cost spectrum. Box mods are often laden with advanced features and can generate massive power. Fitting a box mod with a rebuildable coil deck, such as an RTA or RDA, is also common.
It’s also worth noting that some of the more powerful box mods require external batteries, which never come included.
A box mod can cost from £29.99 to £100+ while a rebuildable atomiser can cost from £16.49 to £54.99, depending on the materials used, advanced designs, and the brand’s legacy.
Meanwhile, a battery cell for a box mod, which can be an 18650, 20700 or 21700 battery, can cost between £5.99 and £15.99. It’s important to remember that some box mods require two batteries.
Another cost to consider with box mod kits? Vape battery chargers which will set you back around £7.49 to £34.99. Of course, you wouldn’t need a charger and battery if your box mod has an internal battery.
How Much Does Vaping Cost?
Compared to buying rolling tobacco or cigarettes every few days, your vape kit and its accoutrements will quickly pay for themselves. I’m going to dive into some READ figures here, people, but if your attention’s waning, take a gander at this little chart:
| Category | Vaping (MTL kit) | Vaping (Sub-ohm kit) | Smoking (cigarettes) |
| Initial Kit Cost | £9 – £44 | £30 – £100+ | N/A |
| Coil/Pod Replacements | £8 – £15 per pack (2 – 4 weeks) | £10 – £20 per pack (1 – 2 weeks) | N/A |
| E-Liquid Usage | £10 – £20 per week | £20 – £40 per week | N/A |
| Cigarette Costs | N/A | N/A | £70 – £100 per week (£10 – £15 per pack, pack a day) |
| Estimated Monthly Cost | £40-£80 | £80-160 | £280-£400 |
| Estimated Yearly Cost | £480-960 | £960-£1,920 | £3,650-£5,200+ |
Cost of Vaping Per Week
The weekly cost of vaping already outpaces smoking in terms of savings. Remember, the initial kit cost has already been dealt with, and new pods, coils, and juices don’t add up too much compared to cigarettes.
| Type of Vape | Cost |
| Refillable Pod Vape | £11 per week (juice and coils) |
| Prefilled Vape | £5.50 per week (prefilled pods) |
| Disposable Vape | £13 – £25 (large one per week – small one per day) |
| Box Mod Kit | £15 (juice and coils) |
Cost of Vaping Per Month
At the monthly point, we can see the difference in cost compared to smoking. While disposables don’t offer much savings, prefilled vapes and refillable vapes stand out as being of greater value.
While prefilled vapes can cost less in terms of maintenance, requiring only new pods, refillable kits allow for far more customisation of flavour and nicotine strength.
| Type of Vape | Cost |
| Refillable Pod Vape | £48 per month (juice and coils) |
| Prefilled Vape | £22 per month (prefilled pods) |
| Disposable Vape | £52 – £100 per month (large one per week – small one per day) |
| Box Mod Kit | £60 per month (juice and coils) |
Cost of Vaping Per Year
At the yearly point, the savings become an undeniable objective truth. The average price of a cigarette packet within the United Kingdom is £16.60. If you’re on a pack a day – and many are – that’s £6,059 per year compared to just a few hundred you’d spend on vaping!
| Type of Vape | Cost |
| Refillable Pod Vape | £576 per year (juice and coils) |
| Prefilled Vape | £264 per year (prefilled pods) |
| Disposable Vape | £624 – £1200 (large one per week – small one per day) |
| Box Mod Kit | £720 per year (juice and coils) |
Vaping vs Smoking Costs: Is Vaping Cheaper?
When the cards are down and the money’s on the table, it’s undeniable that smoking costs FAR more than vaping. Worse, you can’t ‘lower the strength’ of your cigarettes the way you can with vape juice, so your habit is only going to increase the longer you smoke. Let’s look at some numbers:
| Product Type | Weekly Cost | Monthly Cost | Yearly Cost |
| Refillable Pod Vape | £11 | £48 | £576 |
| Prefilled Vape | £5.50 | £22 | £264 |
| Disposable Vape | £13 – £25 | £52 – £100 | £642 – £1200 |
| Box Mod Kit | £15 | £60 | £720 |
| Cigarettes | £117 | £510 | £6,140 |
How Much Can You Save With Vaping?
Still figuring out the total cost? Use our vaping savings calculator below:
Vaping Savings Calculator
Calculations assume: £2/10ml e-liquid, 5ml/day usage for a 20/day smoker (or equivalent), £15 initial starter kit cost, and estimated ongoing coil costs. Roll-ups assumed average 0.75g tobacco. Lifetime savings based on switching until an assumed average life expectancy of 81.
Puff for Pennies or Smoke for Stacks
And so you see, dear reader, that vaping always works out cheaper than smoking cigarettes. Even those working their way through vast quantities of disposables are experiencing greater savings than the stubborn smokers.
And yeah, I’m talking to YOU, smoker. It’s time to make the switch to a form of nicotine without tar, without stink, and at far less cost. Visit MIST today to get started!