Expensive habits: Birmingham is among the cities where smoking costs the most
Southampton takes the top spot as one pack of cigarettes makes up for almost 42% of spendable income after expenses.Walsall is second and registers the second highest cost for a pack of 20 cigarettes at £14.60.Plymouth comes in third, while Brighton and Worcester are fourth and fifth.
A new study reveals that Southampton is the city where it’s least affordable to smoke.
The study by online vape retailer Vape Globe analysed ONS, Gov.uk, and Numbeo data about the cost of living, disposable income, and cigarette prices to discover where smoking is least affordable after deducting monthly expenses.
Southampton, Hampshire, ranks first as one pack of cigarettes (£12.65) accounts for two-fifths (41.79%) of a person’s spendable income after expenses, which amounts to £30.27. This results from an average gross starting income per person of £1,508, from which needs to be deducted monthly expenses of around £932 and an average mortgage payment per person of £546.33. As one pack of Marlboro costs an average of £12.65 in Southampton, most people would have to spend almost half their remaining spendable income to indulge in the habit.
Walsall, Staffordshire, is second, with a pack of cigarettes (£14.60) accounting for almost a third (29.87%) of the monthly spendable income of £48.88 after expenses. Starting from a monthly gross income of £1,342 per person, the number above results from subtracting the average mortgage instalment and monthly expenditures per person, which amount to £506.79 and £786.49.
Plymouth, Devon, is third, with a pack of cigarettes (£11.50) accounting for over a quarter (27.45%) of the monthly spendable income of £41.89. The city registered these results by subtracting the monthly gross income per person of £1,456, the average mortgage payment of £557.51, and the average monthly expenses of £856.61.
Further down the list, Brighton, East Sussex, takes fourth place, with a pack of cigarettes (£15) accounting for a quarter (24.10%) of the monthly spendable income of £61.24.
Worcester, Worcestershire, closes the top five, with a pack of cigarettes (£10.40) accounting for a fifth (20.97%) of the monthly spendable income of £49.59.
| Top 10 UK towns and cities where smoking is least affordable | ||||
| City/Town | Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | Monthly Spendable Income | % Cigarette Pack of Monthly Spendable Income | Rank |
| Southampton | £12.65 | £30.27 | 41.79% | 1 |
| Walsall | £14.60 | £48.88 | 29.87% | 2 |
| Plymouth | £11.50 | £41.89 | 27.45% | 3 |
| Brighton | £15.00 | £62.24 | 24.10% | 4 |
| Worcester | £10.40 | £49.59 | 20.97% | 5 |
| Peterborough | £14.00 | £69.88 | 20.03% | 6 |
| Birmingham | £14.00 | £80.67 | 17.35% | 7 |
| Leicester | £11.50 | £67.19 | 17.12% | 8 |
| Wolverhampton | £14.00 | £83.20 | 16.83% | 9 |
| Luton | £14.38 | £88.96 | 16.17% | 10 |
A spokesperson for Vape Globe commented on the findings: “The data shows how much of a luxury smoking is and how in some areas to buy just one packet a month can be a struggle. While the high price of cigarettes in the country is largely driven by government taxation policies designed to reduce smoking rates and associated health costs, the comparison to people’s actual income and how unaffordable they are should be an extra reason to quit smoking.
“On top of this, if we consider that smokers, on average, smoke 9 cigarettes a day, they will save about £171 in Southampton each month by quitting."