If you have been considering purchasing an electronic cigarette, you may be initially put off by the price of the devices.  While prices vary, electronic cigarettes typically cost anywhere from $69 to $149 each.  Obviously, that represents a substantially higher price than the $5-$7 you may be paying for a pack of regular cigarettes.

The price is understandable once you realize that the devices contain batteries and microprocessors that control delivery of the nicotine mist that creates the "smoke" that makes these devices enjoyable.  You cannot build such a complicated devices for just a few dollars.

The apparent high price can be deceiving, however, as electronic cigarettes, or "e-cigs" as they are commonly known, are actually much cheaper to use in the long run than regular cigarettes.

Take the Luci Electronic Cigarette, for example.  While the cigarette sells for $99.99, or perhaps the price of 2-3 cartons of cigarettes, that price includes five nicotine cartridges, which provide the equivalent of roughly 4 packs of cigarettes.  Refill cartridges, when purchased in quantity, can be purchased for less than $100 for the equivalent of 37 packs of regular cigarettes.

Over the course of a year, you may end up paying half as much to use an electronic cigarette as you would smoking real ones.  The main reason is taxation.  Governments don’t yet tax e-cigs, as they do not contain any tobacco. 

What’s the bottom line?  While electronic cigarettes appear to be expensive, they are actually a great value when compared to traditional, or "real" cigarettes.