How many minutes of work a pack of cigarettes costs, country by country

As of 31 October 2026, at the statutory minimum wage, a pack of Marlboro costs between 236 minutes of work in Tunisia and 29 minutes in Luxembourg, across the 18 countries of our database with a national minimum wage.

The calculation: the price of a pack of 20 Marlboro, divided by the gross hourly minimum wage set by law, times 60. Prices come from our database, minimum wages from each country's official texts, cited at the bottom of the page. Where the law sets only a monthly amount, we turn it into an hourly rate: a year of pay divided by a year of full-time hours (legal weekly hours × 52 weeks).

Country by country

Under the minutes: hours of work at the minimum wage for a pack a day over 30 days.

This figure measures the weight of tobacco in a small budget, not a bargain. A high number of minutes reflects high taxes, a low minimum wage, or both; higher prices remain one of the best-documented ways to reduce smoking. If you want to stop, our quit smoking guide reviews the methods and how well they work.

Countries without a national minimum wage

Italy, Austria, and Switzerland have no minimum wage set by law for the whole country. We do not give them a substitute figure: a collective-agreement minimum or an average would not compare with the other rows.

Method and sources

Gross adult minimum wage in force on 31 October 2026, before social contributions and tax. Pack price: the latest Marlboro price in our database, from the official price list, a shop survey or press and online sources depending on the country (details on each country page and on our data page). Prices change more often than minimum wages, so the index moves with every new price list.

• Tunisia: 2.667 DT an hour, since 1 January 2026. Minimum wage for non-agricultural work, 48-hour regime (2.713 DT an hour in the 40-hour regime). Figures reported by the official news agency TAP, as the Official Gazette text is not available online. TAP (agence officielle), décret n° 2026-67, JORT du 30 avril 2026
• Australia: A$26.44 an hour, since 1 July 2026. Fair Work Commission, National Minimum Wage (Annual Wage Review 2026)
• Morocco: 17.92 DH an hour, since 1 January 2026. Minimum wage for non-agricultural work (SMIG). Décret n° 2.25.983 du 29 décembre 2025, Bulletin officiel n° 7469 (SMIG)
• Hungary: 1,856 Ft an hour, since 1 January 2026. 426/2025. Korm. rendelet (minimálbér, órabér)
• United States: $7.25 an hour, since 24 July 2009. This is the federal floor: most states set a higher minimum wage, and pack prices vary widely from state to state. U.S. Department of Labor, federal minimum wage (FLSA)
• Czech Republic: 134.40 Kč an hour, since 1 January 2026. MPSV, minimální mzda (40 hodin týdně)
• Ireland: 14.15 € an hour, since 1 January 2026. S.I. No. 472 of 2025, National Minimum Wage Order 2025
• United Kingdom: £12.71 an hour, since 1 April 2026. GOV.UK, National Living Wage (21 and over)
• France: 12.31 € an hour, since 1 June 2026. Légifrance, arrêté du 22 mai 2026 relatif au relèvement du SMIC
• Portugal: 920 € a month × 14 payments ÷ (40 h a week × 52), i.e. 6.19 € an hour; legal hours: Código do Trabalho, art. 203, since 1 January 2026. DGERT, retribuição mínima mensal garantida para 2026 (Decreto-Lei 139/2025)
• Poland: 4,806 zł a month × 12 payments ÷ (40 h a week × 52), i.e. 27.73 zł an hour; legal hours: Kodeks pracy, art. 129, since 1 January 2026. The statutory hourly rate of 31.40 zł applies only to civil-law contracts: we start from the monthly wage of employees. Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy, wynagrodzenie minimalne w 2026
• Belgium: 2,233.61 € a month × 12 payments ÷ (38 h a week × 52), i.e. 13.56 € an hour; legal hours: loi sur le travail du 16 mars 1971, art. 19, since 1 July 2026. Conseil national du travail, montants des CCT au 1er juillet 2026 (CCT n° 43, revenu minimum mensuel moyen garanti)
• Netherlands: 14.99 € an hour, since 1 July 2026. Rijksoverheid, uitkeringsbedragen per 1 juli 2026
• Spain: 1,221 € a month × 14 payments ÷ (40 h a week × 52), i.e. 8.22 € an hour; legal hours: Estatuto de los Trabajadores, art. 34, since 1 January 2026. BOE, Real Decreto 126/2026 (salario mínimo interprofesional 2026)
• Turkey: 33,030 TL a month × 12 payments ÷ (45 h a week × 52), i.e. 169.38 TL an hour; legal hours: İş Kanunu 4857, md. 63, since 1 January 2026. The text sets a gross daily wage of 1,101 TL, i.e. 33,030 TL for a 30-day month. Resmî Gazete, 26 Aralık 2025, Asgari Ücret Tespit Komisyonu Kararı 2025/1
• Germany: 13.90 € an hour, since 1 January 2026. Fünfte Mindestlohnanpassungsverordnung (MiLoV5)
• Andorra: 9.05 € an hour, since 1 July 2026. CASS, circular informativa de la Inspecció de Treball : salari mínim a partir de l'1 de juliol del 2026 (Decret 253/2026)
• Luxembourg: 16.02 € an hour, since 1 June 2026. IGSS, paramètres sociaux au 1er juin 2026 (salaire social minimum non qualifié)

The table can be downloaded under a CC BY 4.0 licence, with the source of each wage: CSV · JSON