Economics of smoking

Wonder how much smoking costs in $$ terms?
Here we go.

13 years

1st year in Malaysia @ RM3.50 a 20-pack. One pack lasted me three-four days back then. Lets take an average of 10 packs a month which is 120 packs a year. Total= RM420

2nd-4th year in Melbourne @ AUD9 per 20-pack (on average). I increased to smoking a pack every two days during those days - no parents, freedom plus all the illusions that even semi-rebellious teenagers have.
15 packs a month or 180 packs a year which equals AUD1620 per year or AUD4860 for the three years I was there . Taking average exchange rate of RM2.50 per AUD1 = a total of RM12,150.

Hmm, I could have paid a downpayment for a car with that alone.


Smoke much?

5th year onwards back in Malaysia where I still averaged about a pack every two days. Cigarette prices have been rising. In 2001 it was RM5, and in 2011 it is RM10. I can't recall the exact time of the price hikes so just for behind a envelope sort of calculation lets take the median to be RM7.50.

That would be 1,620 packs (for 9 years at 180 packs per year) x RM7.50 which would be a total of RM12,150.

Add everything together and I've spent almost RM25,000 on smoking or an average of almost RM2,000 a year. Also shows how cheap it is to smoke in Malaysia.

Wow.