How many times have you seen young adults indulging in the use of vape? Quite frequently, we suppose.
In the advent of the 21st century, the rise and acceptance of vape usage were embraced by all sorts of individuals, ranging from curious teenagers to chain-smokers.
With the unprecedented popularity of “Vape Culture,” it makes sense for people to be inclined towards trying out the product.
Whether it is for first-time users who wish to enter the culture or for seasoned smokers who feel like transitioning to vape, this article will give a comprehensive overview of the associated costs of vaping.
It may get technical and math-y at times to calculate the vaping cost. Still, you can be sure of gaining valuable information that will easily let you nose-dive into vaping in an informed and exciting manner.
So let’s explore the nuts and bolts of how you, as a newbie, can enter the world of vape and see if it fits your budget.
Smoking versus Vaping
Before starting with the actual topic at hand, it is essential to understand why so many people switched to vape?
The first reason is cost.
On a relative basis, the vape is cheaper than cigarettes. This claim can be logically understood by the fact that the government levy taxes and non-monetary restrictions on tobacco usage.
And here is the silver lining: Unlike cigarettes, which contain tobacco, vaping does not involve tobacco-intake.
This fact keeps vape products out of the government’s radar and hence, makes it a cheaper option for consumption.
Escaping the tax net makes vaping an affordable option for the vast majority of people. It indirectly incentivizes the use of vape.
On the flip side, smoking might be seen or eventually become a dull or monotonous activity.
The tobacco experience is similar across most of the brands, so if you are a creative person who loves variety and customization, then vaping has a lot to offer!
You will understand this after reading the section below, which briefly touches upon the different mechanical components of vape.
Components and Cost – Technical but necessary stuff!
A vape typically consists of three parts:
- Device
- E-juice
- Coil
Let’s go through this in simple and easy steps.
The Device
The device, or the kit, is the exterior structure through which we vape. It can be made of glass, stainless steel, or safe plastic. It comes in different shapes and sizes, so the varieties are truly endless!
The type of device you buy will determine the vaping experience you get. It can broadly be divided into two devices: Cigalike and Box Mod (Vape Mod).
As the name suggests, the former is similar to that of a cigarette in terms of its shape. Meanwhile, the latter device looks more like a compact box.
Another common type is pod mods. Beginners prefer it due to its sleek design, lightweight, and cheaper cost.
Coming to the cost itself, a vape kit for starters usually starts from $20, inclusive of e-juice, battery, and coil. Below is a price range of some common types of vapes:
- Cigalike: $15 – $35
- Pod Mods: $15 – $50
- Vape Mods: $20 – $80
Let’s get one thing straight: It is only natural for beginners to feel hesitant and reluctant, given the initial outflow of money when buying their first vape device.
After all, one pack of cigarettes would cost between $5 and $15.
It will last you one or two days, the same as a vape device with prefilled E-juice.
However, it is essential to have a long-term view of how buying a vape device is less of an expense and more of an investment.
We will elaborate more on this below.
E-Juice AKA Vape Juice
Just like a cigarette is filled with tobacco, which makes up the smoking experience, the vape device contains E-juice.
Commonly referred to as vape juice, E-juice is the primary variable cost that dictates how much weekly, monthly, and yearly expenditure would be incurred due to vaping.
The consumption level varies from person to person. For a safe guess, we will consider a range from 3 milliliters (ml) per day to 5 ml per day.
Although the intake of vape juice can go up to 10 ml per day, it is rare to find such high intake levels in the case of beginners.
We recommend that the vape device should have a refillable juice compartment. It will help you in decreasing the overall cost of vaping. We can further classify ejuice into two types:
- Regular E-juice: 60 ml for $10 – $25
- Nicotine E-juice: 30 ml for $15 – $20
The difference between these two is primarily the concentration of nicotine level in the E-juice. It reflects in their prices as well.
Beginners tend to go towards the first option. If we take the lower bounds for consumption level and vape juice’s cost, then 3 ml per day would translate to roughly 1100 ml annually.
This puts the yearly expenditure to around $200.
Now, if we consider an average person who consumes 5 ml per day and buys vape juice (60 ml) that costs up to $20, then the annual E-juice cost would jump to $600.
Your frequency and length of vaping would have a direct impact on how much vape juice would be needed to fulfill those cravings.
Luckily, the cost of vaping is still considerably lower than smoking! We will make a comparison after touching upon the last factor that makes up a vape device: vape coils.
Vape Coils
Vape coils are usually overlooked by beginners when they start their vaping journey. We won’t let you make such a novice mistake.
Vape coil is the component that converts E-juice into the vapors, which we all love to exhale.
Therefore, coils have an essential function to fulfill, and it makes sense that they would need to be replaced at regular intervals.
The replacement time of a coil is dependent on vape juice consumption. You can obtain some idea with the information provided below:
- Low vape usage (3-5 ml per day): 1 coil in 3 weeks
- Medium vape usage (5-10 ml per day): 1 coil in 2 weeks
- High vape usage (15-30 ml per day): 1 coil per week
Beginners are more likely to lie in the first category.
However, we will take the middle ground and go with the second category to account for the quality of coils and the swift transition of a newbie to an intermediate vape user.
Using one coil in two weeks would lead to the purchase of 24 coils in a year. On average, a coil can cost around $3 when bought in packets.
Therefore, the annual cost of coils would be at least $70.
Vaping is the Future
Here is pleasantly shocking news for all of you: One packet of Marlboro, which dominates the market for cigarettes in the United States, costs $8 on average.
Considering that smokers may use up one packet a day, the total cost would become $2920 in a year. Now, that’s expensive.
On the flip side, vaping is not only cheaper on a monetary basis (roughly $1000 annually), but it is also a safer option.
According to an article in The Guardian, “… the evidence is unequivocal that vaping is much safer than smoking.”
Another study concluded that vaping is 95% safer than smoking! Sounds impressive, right?
Due to the absence of tobacco, vaping has been scientifically proven to be a healthier alternative to smoking.
Therefore, our readers who are looking to transition from smoking to vaping, we hope that you feel even more motivated to make the switch.
Level Up! Keep Moving Forward
Vape is an exciting product. We feel that our readers should have the necessary information to acknowledge the utility and beauty of vape.
Once you begin to realize this idea and start your journey, you will see with exciting opportunities.
- The option to customize your vaping experience.
- The liberty to modify your device.
- The choice to opt for vape juice from an endless variety of flavors.
All this, and so much more, is the cornerstone of vape. In essence, it is the experience that matters, and vape promises to give you a satisfying moment with every puff you take.
How to save costs on vape?
As per our experience, people who have negligible exposure to smoking find the cost of vaping to be high. And rightly so.
It is perfectly fine to think this way when you have just started contemplating to start this journey.
Taking the first step is never easy, but it is not a sufficient reason to never take that first step.
Typically, beginners are college students who are on a limited budget. To allocate a few bucks on this recreational activity might put a dent in your pocket.
For them, we have a few tips that can lower the vaping cost even more!
- Always be on a lookout for sales! Discounts and price reductions are prevalent on special occasions and holidays.
- Buy in bulk whenever you can. Be proactive in this regard and make a buying schedule beforehand!
- Network with fellow vapers! One of the exciting features of the vaping journey is the vibrant community itself. It will give you information related to discounts, trends, and other relevant details.
- Finally, take care of your device!
Summing It Up
It is time to unveil the cost of vaping. It took quite some time to reach this point, but we are hopeful that you have developed a better understanding of vape devices.
For a newbie who wishes to buy a pod mod (due to its beginner-friendly structure) and keep his or her consumption level such that 5 ml of vape juice is utilized per day, then the replacement time of coils would be after every two weeks.
In the above scenario, the total annual cost of vaping would be $700. The breakdown of this cost is as follows:
- Device: $30 (Good quality Pod Mod)
- E-juice: $600 (The regular vape juice with standard nicotine level; recommended for newbies)
- Coils: $70 (5 packs of coils with each pack containing five coils each)
This cost is more of an indicative value, which is likely to follow an upward trend once you go towards more sophisticated and advanced devices, premium juices, and higher coil replacements.
As an estimate, the cost is expected to reach $1000 once you level up your vaping game.
We sincerely hope that this guide was resourceful to you. We look forward to your journey ahead!