Costa
Rica
Cigarettes
Will
Continue
Among
The
Cheapest
In
Latin
America
and
The
World
While
the
Ley
de
General
de
Control
del
Tabaco
imposes
a
˘20
colones
tax
on
each
cigarette,
prices
in
Costa
Rica
are
still
one
the
lowest
in
Latin
America
and
around
the
world.
Within
three
months
each
pack
of
cigarette
sold
in
the
country
will
cost
smokers
˘400
more,
bringing
the
cost
of
the
lowest
price
in
the
market
to
˘1.100
(us$2.20)
for
each
pack
or
57%
over
the
current
˘700
colones
per
ack.
However,
if
you
compare
cigarette
prices
in
other
countries
in
the
region,
Costa
Rica
will
still
be
one
the
lowest.
In
Venezuela
a
pack
of
cigarettes
costs
us$6,
while
in
El
Salvador,
Panana,
Gyuana,
Nicaragua,
Chile,
the
Dominican
Republic
and
Mexico,
a 20
cigarette
pack
is
about
us$4.
Costing
less
than
Costa
Rica
are
Argentina,
Guatemala,
Paraguay,
Colombia
and
Brazil
where
a
pack
does
not
exceed
us$2.
In
most
of
the
above
countries
there
are
planned
price
increases,
which
could
make
Costa
Rica
the
cheapest
in
terms
of
cigarette
prices
in
the
not
too
distant
future.
And
when
compared
to
cigarette
prices
in
Europe,
the
United
States
and
Canada,
Costa
Rica
and
Latin
America
continues
to
be a
smoker's
heaven.
In
Europe,
a
pack
of
cigarettes
can
exceed
7
Euros
and
up
to
12
Euros
in
some
places.
In
the
United
States
a 20
cigarette
pack
will
set
you
back
at
least
us$4
and
more
than
us$8
at
the
New
York
airport.
and
in
Canada
from
us$7
and
up.
In
Australia
a
cigarette
pack
is
around
us$12.
The
Ley
Antitabaco
is
already
in
effect,
however,
it
will
be
at
least
three
months
before
the
regulations
will
be
in
place
and
enforcement
will
commence
despite
the
growing
number
of
bars
and
restaurants
that
have
voluntarily
begun
to
ban
smoking.
