Cigarette Prices in Ontario (2026)

A pack of 20 cigarettes in an Ontario convenience store runs between about $15 and $23.50 in 2026. A carton of a premium brand can reach $160.

Most of that is tax. Here’s exactly how much, where it goes, and what the alternatives cost.

Ontario has the lowest provincial tobacco tax in Canada. See how it compares in our guide to cigarette prices across Canada.

How much is a pack of cigarettes in Ontario?

Prices vary by retailer. Chain convenience stores tend to sit at the lower end, independents higher. Northern Ontario is typically more expensive again, because freight costs more.

The tax breakdown on an Ontario carton

Two separate tobacco taxes apply before sales tax is even calculated.

Federal excise duty

The Canada Revenue Agency charges excise duty on every cigarette manufactured in or imported into Canada for the commercial market. As of 1 April 2026 the rate is $0.97299 per five cigarettes — about 19.46 cents each.

On a carton of 200, that is $38.92.

This rate is identical in every province and is adjusted each 1 April against the Consumer Price Index.

Ontario tobacco tax

On top of that, Ontario applies its own tobacco tax of 18.475 cents per cigarette.

And then HST

Ontario’s 13% Harmonized Sales Tax is applied to the price after both tobacco taxes are included — so you pay sales tax on the tax.

What it comes to

Before anyone has paid for tobacco, packaging, shipping or a retailer’s margin, $75.87 of an Ontario carton is tax.

Why Ontario sits mid-table nationally

Ontario’s 18.475 cents per cigarette is moderate by Canadian standards. British Columbia charges 32.5 cents — $65 per carton, nearly double Ontario’s $36.95. Quebec is second-lowest at $41.80 — but has the cheapest cigarettes overall, because it doesn’t apply provincial sales tax to tobacco. See cigarette prices in Quebec.

That single difference explains most of the price gap between provinces. The federal portion never changes; the provincial portion is where the spread comes from.

Ontario has the lowest provincial tobacco tax in Canada at $36.95 per carton. Quebec is second at $41.80, British Columbia charges $65, and Nunavut the highest at $80 — more than double Ontario’s rate.

For the complete breakdown of every province and territory, see cigarette prices in Canada. See also: British Columbia · Alberta · Saskatchewan · Quebec

Native cigarettes in Ontario: why they cost less

Every brand we ship to Ontario costs the same $42 a carton, so the decision is about strength and taste rather than price. Our guide to native cigarette brands covers the full range, from Rolled Gold Full Flavour at the heavy end to Putter’s Light at the mild end.

Most brands we ship to Ontario cost the same $42 a carton, so the decision is about strength and taste rather than price. Our guide to native cigarette brands covers the full range, from Rolled Gold Full Flavour at the heavy end to Putter’s Light at the mild end.

Native cigarettes are manufactured at First Nations facilities and sold under Indigenous tobacco rights. They are not subject to the same provincial tobacco tax structure, which is the entire reason for the price difference.

It isn’t cheaper tobacco. It’s the absence of $36.95 per carton in provincial tax, plus a supply chain that skips national distribution and retail markup.

Ontario price comparison

A $42 carton costs less than the $75.87 of tobacco tax on a retail carton in this province.

What we ship to Ontario

We’re a Mohawk family-run business shipping native cigarettes across Canada. Ontario is our home province and our fastest delivery region.

Every carton is 200 king size cigarettes — ten packs of twenty.

Delivery to Ontario

Where we deliver in Ontario

One to three days to most Ontario addresses, tracked and discreetly packaged.

Greater Toronto — Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Oshawa, Milton, Markham, Richmond Hill, Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Clarington, Aurora, Newmarket, Caledon, Oakville, Burlington, Halton Hills, King, Uxbridge, Scugog, Brock, Georgina, Stouffville, Bradford and Innisfil.

Southwestern Ontario — Hamilton, London, Windsor, Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, Brantford, Chatham-Kent, Sarnia, Woodstock, St Thomas, Norfolk County, Stratford, Owen Sound, Leamington, Tillsonburg, Ingersoll, Simcoe, Goderich, Listowel and Strathroy.

Niagara — St Catharines, Niagara Falls, Welland, Fort Erie, Grimsby, Lincoln, Port Colborne, Thorold and Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Eastern Ontario — Ottawa, Kingston, Belleville, Peterborough, Cornwall, Brockville, Kawartha Lakes, Quinte West, Napanee, Gananoque, Smiths Falls, Perth, Carleton Place, Arnprior, Pembroke, Renfrew, Hawkesbury, Port Hope, Cobourg, Trenton, Picton and Almonte.

Central Ontario and Muskoka — Barrie, Orillia, Collingwood, Midland, Penetanguishene, Wasaga Beach, Huntsville, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Parry Sound, Orangeville and Shelburne.

Northern Ontario — Greater Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste Marie, North Bay, Timmins, Kenora, Dryden, Fort Frances, Elliot Lake, Espanola, Kapuskasing, Hearst, Temiskaming Shores, Cochrane, Kirkland Lake, Marathon and Nipigon.

Free shipping over $300, otherwise $25 flat rate.

You must be 19 or older to buy tobacco in Ontario.

Sources: Ontario tobacco tax rates from the Government of Ontario (updated January 2026). Federal excise duty rates from Canada Revenue Agency excise duty notice EDN105, effective 1 April 2026. Retail price ranges are market estimates and vary by retailer.

Health warning: Smoking is addictive and harmful to health. Tobacco products contain nicotine and are for adult smokers of legal smoking age only. You must be 19 or older to purchase tobacco in Ontario.

Compare other provinces: Quebec · Manitoba · Alberta · British Columbia · all thirteen jurisdictions

Frequently asked questions