What Is the Tax in a Pack of Cigarettes in Your Province?
Key takeaways
Shelf prices are not published in an official series, but the tax inside the price is. In Ontario a carton of 200 holds $75.87 of tax ($36.95 provincial plus $38.92 federal), about $7.59 a pack of 20. In New Brunswick it is $89.96 a carton, about $9.00 a pack. Federal excise is the same everywhere from 1 April 2026.
Tax in a pack and a carton by province
In Ontario the government takes about $7.59 in tax from a pack of 20 cigarettes and $75.87 from a carton of 200: $36.95 of provincial tobacco tax plus $38.92 of federal excise. In New Brunswick the figures are about $9.00 a pack and $89.96 a carton: $51.04 provincial plus the same $38.92 federal. Sales tax is on top in both.
Pack figures here are calculated by dividing the carton figure by 10. The carton figures come from each government’s published rate, and where a province states only a per-cigarette rate we multiplied it by 200.
| Province or territory | Provincial tax per pack (calculated) | Federal excise per pack (calculated) | Total tax per pack (calculated) | Total tax per carton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | $6.50 | $3.89 | $10.39 | $103.92 |
| Alberta | $6.00 | $3.89 | $9.89 | $98.92 |
| Saskatchewan | $5.80 | $3.89 | $9.69 | $96.92 |
| Manitoba | $6.00 | $3.89 | $9.89 | $98.92 |
| Ontario | $3.70 | $3.89 | $7.59 | $75.87 |
| Quebec | $3.78 | $3.89 | $7.67 | $76.72 |
| New Brunswick | $5.10 | $3.89 | $9.00 | $89.96 |
| Nova Scotia | $5.90 | $3.89 | $9.80 | $97.96 |
| Prince Edward Island | $6.00 | $3.89 | $9.89 | $98.92 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $6.50 | $3.89 | $10.39 | $103.92 |
| Yukon | $7.40 | $3.89 | $11.29 | $112.92 |
| Northwest Territories | $6.88 | $3.89 | $10.77 | $107.72 |
| Nunavut | $8.00 | $3.89 | $11.89 | $118.92 |
Pack figures are the carton figure divided by 10 and rounded to the cent, so a column can differ from the sum of the other two by a cent. The carton total is provincial tax plus federal excise of $38.92. Sales taxes are not included.
What this page shows
A carton of cigarettes costs a different amount in each province, and part of that difference is tax. This page compares the tobacco tax built into a carton of 200 cigarettes, using rates published by each government, so you can see how much of the difference is policy.
It does not show shelf prices. We did not find an official, current series of average retail cigarette prices by province, and we do not publish prices taken from retailers or news stories.
Ranking of provincial tax per carton
| Province or territory | Provincial tax | With federal excise | Bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nunavut | $80.00 | $118.92 | |
| Yukon | $74.00 | $112.92 | |
| Northwest Territories | $68.80 | $107.72 | |
| British Columbia | $65.00 | $103.92 | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $65.00 | $103.92 | |
| Alberta | $60.00 | $98.92 | |
| Manitoba | $60.00 | $98.92 | |
| Prince Edward Island | $60.00 | $98.92 | |
| Nova Scotia | $59.04 | $97.96 | |
| Saskatchewan | $58.00 | $96.92 | |
| New Brunswick | $51.04 | $89.96 | |
| Quebec | $37.80 | $76.72 | |
| Ontario | $36.95 | $75.87 |
Among the jurisdictions confirmed on official pages, provincial tobacco tax per carton runs from $36.95 in Ontario to $80.00 in Nunavut, a gap of $43.05 per carton before any difference in the manufacturer's price or sales tax.
The full table with dates
| Province or territory | Provincial tax per cigarette | Provincial tax per carton | Plus federal excise | In effect since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | $0.325 | $65.00 | $103.92 | 2021-07-01 |
| Alberta | $0.3 | $60.00 | $98.92 | 2024-03-01 |
| Saskatchewan | $0.29 | $58.00 * | $96.92 | 2022-03-24 |
| Manitoba | $0.3 | $60.00 | $98.92 | 2019-06-30 |
| Ontario | $0.18475 | $36.95 * | $75.87 | 2018-03-29 |
| Quebec | $0.189 | $37.80 * | $76.72 | 2023-02-09 |
| New Brunswick | $0.2552 | $51.04 * | $89.96 | 2017-02-01 |
| Nova Scotia | $0.2952 | $59.04 * | $97.96 | 2020-02-26 |
| Prince Edward Island | $0.3 | $60.00 * | $98.92 | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $0.325 | $65.00 * | $103.92 | 2021-06-01 |
| Yukon | $0.37 | $74.00 * | $112.92 | 2026-01-01 |
| Northwest Territories | $0.344 | $68.80 * | $107.72 | 2022-08-01 |
| Nunavut | $0.4 | $80.00 * | $118.92 | 2025-03-12 |
Federal excise duty is $38.92 per carton of 200 cigarettes from 2026-04-01 (calculated from $0.97299 per 5 cigarettes). * Carton figure calculated from the per-cigarette rate. Sales taxes are not included.Download the table (CSV).
Cigarette prices in Ontario
Ontario charges 18.475 cents of tobacco tax per cigarette, which works out to $3.70 on a pack of 20 and $36.95 on a carton of 200 (both calculated from the per-cigarette rate). The province’s open data catalogue gives 29 March 2018 as the date the rate last changed. Federal excise adds $3.89 a pack and $38.92 a carton from 1 April 2026, so the tax in an Ontario carton is $75.87 before sales tax. Among the rates we confirmed, that is the lowest total.
We did not find an official shelf price for cigarettes in Ontario, so we do not state one. The price on a store’s tag is the tax above plus the manufacturer’s price and the retailer’s margin. For the rate history, see Ontario cigarette tax in detail, the cigarette price history and the cigarette price index.
Cigarette prices in New Brunswick
New Brunswick charges 25.52 cents of tobacco tax per cigarette, or $5.10 on a pack of 20 and $51.04 on a carton of 200 (both calculated). The province’s wholesaler tobacco tax page gives 1 February 2017 as the date this rate took effect. With the federal $3.89 a pack and $38.92 a carton, the tax in a New Brunswick carton is $89.96 before sales tax, which is $14.09 more than in Ontario.
We did not find an official shelf-price series for New Brunswick either. No government page we read states what a pack sells for there, so we do not give one. To follow how the tax part has moved across the country, use the cigarette price index and the price history page.
Why a store’s price can differ from the tax figures
The retailer sets the shelf price, which is why a large grocery chain and a corner store in the same province can charge different amounts for the same pack. The tax is the part governments set, and it is already inside the price you pay, so it works as a floor under the price. We do not publish store-specific prices, and the tables on this page do not predict what any one store charges.
Reading the numbers
- Federal excise is the same everywhere. From 1 April 2026 it is $0.97299 per 5 cigarettes, about $38.92 per carton of 200.
- Provincial tax is the main difference. Each province or territory sets its own rate and changes it on its own schedule, so the “in effect since” date can be years apart.
- Sales tax is not included. GST, HST, PST or QST may apply on top, depending on the jurisdiction.
Get your own number
Enter the price you pay in the cost of smoking calculator to see what a year of smoking costs, or use the quit-smoking savings calculator to see what you would keep.
Figures are estimates for planning. Actual prices and taxes vary by seller and date. Read the full disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the price of cigarettes in Canada?
There is no single national price, and we did not find an official series of retail cigarette prices. What the governments publish is the tax. A carton of 200 holds $75.87 of federal and provincial tax in Ontario and $118.92 in Nunavut, the lowest and highest totals among the rates we confirmed. Sales taxes come on top.
How much is a pack of cigarettes in Ontario?
We do not publish a shelf price for Ontario. The tax inside a pack of 20 is about $7.59 (calculated from the carton): $3.70 of Ontario tobacco tax and $3.89 of federal excise, before sales tax. The manufacturer's price and the retailer's margin are added to that, and the retailer sets the final price.
How much is a pack of cigarettes in New Brunswick?
We do not publish a shelf price for New Brunswick. The tax inside a pack of 20 is about $9.00 (calculated from the carton): $5.10 of New Brunswick tobacco tax and $3.89 of federal excise, before sales tax. The retailer sets the price on the shelf, and that price includes this tax.
Why do cigarette prices differ at a store like Superstore?
Retailers set their own shelf prices, so two stores in the same province can charge different amounts. The tax is a floor-type part of every price: it is set by governments and is already inside what you pay. We do not publish store-specific prices.
Where can I find the average price of a pack in my province?
We did not find an official series of average retail cigarette prices by province, so we do not publish one. Use the price you actually pay in the cost calculator.
How is the carton tax calculated?
Where a province states its tax per cigarette, we multiply by 200 to get the carton figure and mark it as calculated. The federal duty of $0.97299 per 5 cigarettes is multiplied by 40.
Do the figures include sales tax?
No. They show tobacco taxes only. Sales taxes are not included.
Sources
- Excise duty rates (tobacco and vaping duty rates) — Canada Revenue Agency. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- British Columbia: tobacco tax — Government of British Columbia. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Alberta: tax and levy rates — Government of Alberta. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Saskatchewan: tobacco tax — Government of Saskatchewan. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Manitoba: tobacco tax — Government of Manitoba. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Ontario: tobacco tax rates — Government of Ontario. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- New Brunswick: wholesaler tobacco tax — Government of New Brunswick. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Newfoundland and Labrador: tobacco tax — Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Northwest Territories: tobacco tax — Government of the Northwest Territories. Accessed October 27, 2026.