What is the standard price of a pack or a carton of cigarettes (say Marlboro or whatever else) in Hong Kong? At a regular legitimate store, not on a street corner.

Thank you.

[ Last edited by  testlogin at 17-1-2011 21:48 ]

Not sure about now but it was about $40 HKD last Oct when I was in HK and now I think a change in the duty limit so you can't even bring in a packet of cigarettes without paying custom duties.

• 19 cigarettes or 1 cigars or 25g of tobacco.
• 1L of alcoholic liquor above 30%.
• Reasonable quantity of other items for personal use.

Its crap if you are a smoker but it is still cheaper than here in UK...at £6.80 a pack.

Last November I was there it was about $5 usd a pack, if you go to Macau, it's like $3 a pack.

And if you go to the saunas, it's free!

[ Last edited by  2zzh22k20 at 18-1-2011 09:42 ]

Thanks! A friend asked me this question while I was outside HK, and I had not even the most vague idea (never smoked). I imagine it's much cheaper in China?

Hmmm.... so few monger smokers these days!  would have thought you'd get a definitive reply sooner!

Anyway, main brands like Marlboro, Salem etc- whether at the 7-11 or street stalls are HK$39 per pack (NO discount for buying them by the carton), lesser brands like More or the specific new brands marketed to gain market share like Next is HK$34 whilst PRC Double Happiness is HK$32.

China duty free prices are HK$ 120 - 150 per carton for most brands depending on which duty free and which brand. Cigarettes sold at the outside cigarette shops in China ranges from as low as RMB2.50 to as high as RMB 60 per pack!  Chinese consumers still eat up old marketing tricks and actually think that the more expensive brands are not gonna kill you as quickly!

Popular International brands like Marlboro are at approx RMB 10 - but here you gotta watch out for the fakes.  Yes - fake cigarettes abounds in China.

SEAJ

[ Last edited by  SEAJ at 18-1-2011 17:40 ]

a friend of mine went to North Korea on biz 2 - 3 years ago. He is a big time Guan xi man in key areas of South Eastern China, hotline to local Govt etc. So whilst in North Korea he was shown around and he told me in one location he saw a "sea" of export cartons marked Marlboro. He enquired and was shown the cartons did not contain cigarettes... they contained flat printed Marlboro packets printed in China. Cigs made and packed in North Korea then exported back to China for sale. Apparently it's just one of those things that is quite well known but ignored... imagine...

I haven't smoked for 6 years however in my last couple of years of smoking I had given up the Benson & Hedges for cigars. I liked all type of cigars however my most common type was a small cafe cream. Very nice... Further to what Joe says above, I was waiting at the DG Train Station and keen for a smoke so very excited to find my brand in the store there. Unfortunately my excitement was short lived when I discovered the "crackling" while I smoked was pieces of wood rolled up inside the cigar to reduce the amount of tobacco required.

[ Last edited by  TonyToro at 18-1-2011 18:40 ]

I've quit for a long time too, last time I was in HK it was more or less 5 USD a pack too but what was funny is that when I bought a pack, the girl behind the 711 counter said, smoking kills, thank you!  And they apparently don't give out matches in HK.  I only smoke when I am in Asia, a pack a week or more if I am in China when everyone forces cigarettes into your hands.

i rarely buy cigs in hk but they run for 39 hkd. it kills me on the pack of cigs in asia says SMOKING KILLS. in america they just have a warning that smoking is harmful. i really should quit cause just imagine all the wg's i could get with the money i spent on smokes. i do not like menthols much but seems like my friends love newports. i like camels and mild 7's. and i am not a big fan of cigars

[ Last edited by  captaincaveman at 20-1-2011 14:18 ]

Ahhhhhh....so..... you're one of those smugglers huh??!  LOL!

Hope you know that the duty free limit for cigarettes for ANYBODY coming into Hong Kong is now only 19 sticks of cigarettes!!  That's right, it's gotta be ONLY 1 open pack.

And I've heard that the fine if they catch you is HK$1,000 per pack of cigarette.  Careful there bud!!

SEAJ

They have that one them now as well?
I remember back when all it was, was a govt tv ad campaign that had long random winded unrelated daily life scenes followed by, in Cantonese, "smoking harms your health".

I just saw packs of Marlboro's crossing the border that had the warning - Smoking Causes Impotence!

Sheeeeaaaattt!!

SEAJ

In Australia we have a series of warnings on cigarette packets, throat cancer lung cancer etc... all the blokes I know ask for the one with "smoking hinders your pregnancy". Packets of 25 Marlboro's are the equivalent of 120 HKD

been to some places around tin singapore, cigarettes and alcohol are very heavily taxed. a pack can cost around hkd 47 onwards. in germany, around 3 euros. so i think hk is quite alright!

Just bought some cigs last week when I was there.  $39 at 7-11.  Pretty much standard price if you buy from a street vendor or from convenience store.  Much cheaper that it is here in canada.

ironic nicotine is a dangerous substance yet it is legal in the world. how odd. oh well smoking is a stinky expensive habit. i took it up oh well like i say nobody likes a quitter !!!

bought dunhill reds for 40, lighter 7

It's over 8 usd a pack where I'm at, going to quit for cny, it's a expensive and shitty habit, wish me luck!

Good luck with quitting bro.  I have had no success after 14 years.  Just enjoy it too much.  Maybe its time to make another attempt at it.

Did anyone watch the news last night in HK? I just had a glimpse of it but from what I understand there will be new taxes on tobacco making a pack of cigs over $60?!?! Is that true or was I just tripping?