Where Are Cigarettes Cheapest in Canada? Provinces Ranked
Key takeaways
We rank provinces and territories by the government tobacco tax inside a carton, because no official series of shelf prices exists that we could open. On that measure Ontario is lowest at about $75.87 per carton and the Northwest Territories highest at about $107.72, a spread of $31.85. Retail prices also reflect the manufacturer's price, margins and sales tax, which this ranking does not capture.
A fair ranking of provinces by what cigarettes cost would use shelf prices. We found no official series of those that we could open, and we leave out figures published by sellers and the press. What we can rank is the tax: the federal excise duty plus the provincial or territorial tax inside one carton of 200.
Ranking by tax per carton
Federal excise is $38.92 per carton everywhere (from 1 April 2026), so the order is set by the provincial rate. Lowest first:
| Rank | Jurisdiction | Provincial tax | With federal excise |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ontario | $36.95 | $75.87 |
| 2 | Quebec (last confirmed rate) | $37.80 | $76.72 |
| 3 | Saskatchewan | $58.00 | $96.92 |
| 4 | Nova Scotia (last confirmed rate) | $59.04 | $97.96 |
| 5 | Alberta | $60.00 | $98.92 |
| 5 | Manitoba | $60.00 | $98.92 |
| 5 | Prince Edward Island | $60.00 | $98.92 |
| 8 | British Columbia | $65.00 | $103.92 |
| 8 | Newfoundland and Labrador | $65.00 | $103.92 |
| 10 | Northwest Territories | $68.80 | $107.72 |
New Brunswick, Yukon and Nunavut are not ranked because we could not read their official rate pages. The tax rates page has effective dates and notes on each rate.
What the ranking shows
The ten jurisdictions split into two groups with a wide gap between them. Ontario and Quebec sit about $76 per carton in total government tax. Everyone else we confirmed is between $96.92 and $107.72. That is a jump of more than $20 from the second group’s cheapest (Saskatchewan) to the first group’s dearest (Quebec).
The spread from top to bottom is $31.85 per carton, which is $3.19 per pack of 20 in tax alone. For someone smoking a pack a day, that gap is about $1,160 a year in tax (36.5 cartons a year at $31.85 each). We have not turned that into a prediction about what any particular person pays, since the rest of the price is not in an official table.
What the ranking leaves out
Shelf prices. The manufacturer’s price, wholesale and retail margins and any sales tax are not in the numbers. A province with higher tax can still have a lower or higher shelf price, depending on those. The Quebec explainer covers one commonly repeated version of this claim and what the official documents do and do not support.
Illegal and cross-border sources. Tax-paid cigarettes are only part of what is sold. The CRA’s own estimate of unpaid federal cigarette duty is national, and it does not break the figure down by province.
Recent changes. The Quebec and Nova Scotia figures are the latest rates we could read in official documents, not rates confirmed on the current rate pages. A newer rate would change their rank.
To see where your own money goes, use the cost of smoking calculator. The price index page restates this ranking as an index against the average.
Figures are estimates for planning. Actual prices and taxes vary by seller and date. Read the full disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
Which province has the cheapest cigarettes?
By government tax per carton, Ontario, at about $75.87 combined, with Quebec close behind at $76.72 on its last confirmed rate. We cannot name the cheapest shelf price because no official retail price series was available to us.
Which province taxes cigarettes the most?
Among the rates we confirmed, the Northwest Territories at $68.80 provincial tax per carton, about $107.72 with federal excise. British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador follow at $65.00.
Are New Brunswick, Yukon and Nunavut ranked?
No. Their official pages refused access when we checked, so we do not rank rates we have not read.
Sources
- Excise duty rates — Canada Revenue Agency. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Ontario: tobacco tax rates — Ontario Ministry of Finance. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Quebec: Information Bulletin 2023-2 — Ministère des Finances du Québec. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Saskatchewan: tobacco tax — Government of Saskatchewan. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Nova Scotia: Tax Information Bulletin 5107 — Government of Nova Scotia. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Alberta: tax and levy rates — Government of Alberta. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Manitoba: tobacco tax — Government of Manitoba. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Prince Edward Island: Tobacco Tax Act — Government of Prince Edward Island. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- British Columbia: tobacco tax — Government of British Columbia. 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.