A good cigar doesn't have to cost a fortune. Some of the most enjoyable smokes in our humidor sit under $20 - plenty of them under $10 - and they're the ones regulars come back for on a weeknight. This guide shows you what you actually get at each price point, what to look for, and which sticks are worth your money.
It's for adults 19+ who want a solid cigar without saving it for a special occasion. New to sizes and wrappers? Our cigar basics guide covers the terms used below.
What changes as the price goes up
Price usually tracks how a cigar is built, not just the name on the band. Cheaper sticks often use short filler - chopped leaf that burns faster and a bit hotter - or are machine-made. Hand-rolled long-filler cigars use whole leaves, so they burn slower, draw more evenly and change flavour as you smoke. Size matters too: a robusto or toro simply uses more tobacco than a slim corona.
The good news is that the jump from $8 to $18 buys you a lot more than the jump from $30 to $40. The under-$20 range is where value is strongest.
Under $10: quick, easy smokes
Perfect for a 20 to 40 minute break or for trying something new without much risk.
- Junction Habano Chico - a short 4¼ x 38 Nicaraguan puro, medium strength, with earthy and coffee notes. Big flavour for its size.
- Guantanamera Decimos - a slim, mild Cuban made from Vuelta Arriba tobacco. The easiest way to try Habanos on a budget.
- Casa de Garcia Maduro Corona - hand-rolled in the Dominican Republic, medium-bodied, with a dark maduro wrapper.
- Bances Corona Claro and Cubana Corona Claro - mellow, light-wrapped coronas that are easy to like.
- Tabacalera Isabela - a longer 5⅞ x 41 smoke from one of the Philippines' oldest cigar makers.
$10 to $15: hand-rolled robustos and flavoured picks
This is where you start getting full-size, hand-rolled cigars with long filler.
- HOH Nicaraguan Robusto - a 5 x 50 Nicaraguan puro rolled by Plasencia. Bold for the price.
- HofH Honduran Robusto - the same size in a smoother, medium-bodied Honduran blend.
- Chillin Moose Robusto - Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper with cocoa, cedar and roasted nut notes.
- Don Tomas Maduro Rothschild - short and stout with an oily Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper. Rich without taking all evening.
- Guantanamera Cristales - a mild Cuban in a longer 5⅞ x 41 size.
- Calixto Lopez Pyramid - a 6 x 52 pyramid whose tapered head concentrates the smoke.
Like a sweet tip? The W&D Bourbon Corona and W&D Chocolate Corona are mild, infused coronas on a Connecticut wrapper, and the CAO Eileen's Dream Petit Corona brings an Irish cream style flavour over a Cameroon wrapper.
$15 to $20: premium brands at an everyday price
Here you'll find names that also make $30+ cigars, in sizes and lines that keep the price down.
- Oliva Nub Connecticut - short, thick and creamy, from Oliva's factory in Estelí.
- HofH Honduran Churchill - the long-format sibling of the Honduran Robusto, for when you have time to sit.
- Macanudo M Coffee Belicoso - smooth and mellow with a café-style aroma.
- Sinistro El Burro Maduro Robusto - Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper, medium-to-full, punches above its price.
- Punch London Club Maduro - a 5 x 40 Honduran petit corona with a dark Broadleaf wrapper. Full flavour in a compact size.
- Don Tomas Clasico Robusto and Alec Bradley Medalist Toro - mild-to-medium Honduran cigars with Connecticut shade wrappers, good for daytime.
- HoH Dominican Robusto - an all-Dominican, mild-to-medium robusto that's easy on newer smokers.
Want to go deeper on Nicaraguan cigars? Read our Oliva and My Father guide. Prefer a shorter Cuban smoke? See Cuban cigarillos compared.
How to get the most from a budget cigar
- Match strength to the moment: mild or Connecticut for daytime or with coffee, maduro and Nicaraguan blends after dinner.
- Cut only a small slice off the cap - cutting too deep makes it unravel.
- Toast the foot evenly before you draw, and smoke slowly, about one puff a minute.
- Pick size by time: a corona or petit corona for under 45 minutes, a robusto for about an hour, a toro or pyramid when you can sit longer.
- Store them properly. A cheap cigar kept at the right humidity often beats a pricey one left in a drawer. Our cigar storage guide explains how.
Shop cigars in Vancouver
Browse the full cigar collection online, or drop by Tobacconist & Vape, a franchised Express News store at 140 - 2741 E Hastings St, Vancouver, where every stick is kept in our walk-in humidor. Order before 5 PM for same-day delivery between 6 PM and 7 PM to Vancouver, Burnaby and parts of North Vancouver - free over $60. You must be 19+, and ID is checked at pickup and delivery.