8 Best Cheap Cigars (That Are Actually Worth It)

Who said cigars had to be an expensive hobby? With almost enough every vendor worth their salt online nowadays, we aficionados have access to all the best cheap cigars at our fingertips – and that has really forced companies to keep their pricing competitive. 

The picks on this list are made with top-quality tobacco, produce plumes of smoke that deserve their own weather report – and they all come in for under 5 bucks.

My top recommendation is the Rocky Patel American Market. It’s delicious, with hints of nuttiness and a woodsy streak that lend a level of complexity you’d expect from something 3 – 4 times the price. It’s also pretty mild, so well worth a look if you’re a beginner.

For something with a bit more oomph, check out the CAO Gold Robusto. It’s a step up that tastes as serious as it looks, with a shimmering golden Ecuadorean wrapper that will make an entrance whenever you whip one out. I love the nutmeg and vanilla combo in this stogie; it’s good enough to eat.

All of the links here are from Famous Smoke Shop, which I find to have the best deals on cigars in the US. It’s always a balance between price and reliability, and these guys have both sides of the coin handled.

So, let’s get into the best cheap cigars.

The 8 Best Cheap Cigars

Rocky Patel American Market Selection Toro – Best Cheap Cigar Overall

Rocky Patel American Markets give you a real cigar smokers experience with long-aged premium Nicaraguan and Honduran tobacco, tempered and calmed by a mild and velvety Connecticut wrapper.

The overall effect is a clean, creamy smoke with a sweet finish that punches well above its price point.

You’ll notice a subtle inflection of cedar – still mild, but with enough woodsy complexity to keep me interested. It brings a nuttiness that you can explore further with smokes like the Arturo Fuente Gran Reserva later down the track.

The construction here is excellent, with a smooth draw and clean burn that lasts around 90 minutes. I smoked this one right down to the label, sipping bourbon and watching the fireplace with my buddies. It’s the perfect stogie to share with smokers of varying experience – a light body with enough complexity to keep things interesting.

Strength	Mellow
Shape	Toro
Size	6 x 52
Country	Honduras
Color	Natural
Wrapper Origin	Ecuadorian
Wrapper Leaf	Connecticut Shade

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CAO Gold Robusto – Best Cheap Cigar for Refined Palates

For beginners, CAO Golds are a great step up from mellow cigars to something a little more flavorful.

Their velvety smoke brings creamy notes of vanilla and nutmeg, helped along by a touch of delicate spice and cedar to keep things tasting serious. The balance here is excellent, with just the right amount of each element in a cigar that tastes far more expensive than it is.

It’s one of my go-to’s to pair with a morning coffee when I’m looking for something flavorful – or just as a solid bet when I don’t exactly know what I feel like smoking

These handmade cigars look pretty impressive, too. The golden Ecuadorian wrapper looks incredibly clean and adds to the sense that you’re smoking a premium product

The quality wrapper helps with the slow, even burn that tastes consistently smooth for the full hour. In terms of sizing, just know that Robusto is definitely the play to make. The CAO Gold Corona is slightly cheaper, but the draw is too tight in my experience

Strength	Mellow
Shape	Corona
Size	5 1/2 x 42
Country	Nicaragua
Color	Natural
Wrapper Origin	Ecuadorian
Wrapper Leaf	Connecticut Shade

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Factory Smokes Maduro Robusto Drew Estate – Best Cheap Maduro Cigar

This is an excellent Maduro for the price. This Nicaraguan treat delivers shades of cocoa and suede in a medium-bodied blend, with just a hint of sweetness to mellow things out.

• Best Price: Check Famous Smoke Shop Here

It burns with a beautiful aroma that even non-smokers seem to enjoy, too.

The guys at Drew Estate know how to make expertly constructed budget cigars, and the construction and burn here are familiarly impeccable. To the draw, this thing feels like something from Davidoff.

There are obviously better Maduros out there – but for the price, this is a five-star cigar. Shockingly good.

I only have one complaint – I’ve found that one or two of these have had a tight draw as a fluke. Nothing a little fit of finger rolling doesn’t fix, though.

• Check out our full guide on the best Maduro cigars for more.

Strength	Full
Shape	Gordo
Size	6 x 60
Country	Nicaragua
Color	Maduro
Wrapper Origin	Proprietary
Wrapper Leaf	Maduro

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Nub Connecticut – Best Cheap Short Cigar

Don’t be fooled by the size – there are no half measures with Nub cigars.

Olivia’s signature Nicaraguan tobacco means that this Connecticut packs in more flavor than you might expect. 

The smoke here is creamy and thick, with hints of nuttiness and leather that pair beautifully with a whiskey in the evening. A little hint of spice that grows throughout the smoke keeps things interesting, too.

Nubs are designed to offer the most enjoyable part of a cigar without being a “quick smoke” – you can easily spend an hour enjoying this smooth and flavorful stogie.

Despite their smaller form factor, NUb cigars hold up perfectly well in terms of flavor, draw, and a beautifully even burn even when compared to traditional, premium cigars.

Strength	Medium
Shape	Rothschild
Size	4 x 60
Country	Nicaragua
Color	Natural
Wrapper Origin	Ecuadorian
Wrapper Leaf	Connecticut Shade

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The Griffin’s – Best Cheap Small Cigar

These small cigars are great value for money. They’re about $4 a pop, and still have the classic Davidoff Dominican flavor and quality you’ve come to expect.

The smoke is smooth and mild and goes perfectly with a cup of coffee when time is short. They take about 15-20 minutes to smoke, which is perfect for me as part of my morning routine. 

For the price, you’d expect Davidoff to take some shortcuts. But Griffin’s are all beautifully rolled and they draw beautifully.

You could say that the palate is a little less exciting than more complex smokes like the Nicaragua Diademas BXP, but the quality is still there. Like a high-quality vanilla ice cream, this is a straightforward flavor done well.

They come in handy tins of six that are easy to sling in your suit jacket pocket without wondering if your smokes will survive.

• Check out our full guide on the best small cigars for more.

Strength	Mellow
Shape	Small Cigar
Size	4 1/8 x 30
Country	Dominican Republic
Color	Natural
Wrapper Origin	Ecuadorian
Wrapper Leaf	Connecticut Shade

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Arturo Fuente Especiales Cazadores – Best Cheap Cigar for Beginners

Especiales Cazadores are excellent value for money. It’s a blessing to be able to buy them at this price, so I can smoke real Arturo Fuentes every day.

This is a good-looking cigar with flawless construction in a smooth, Ecuadorian Habano wrapper.

The Dominican filler produces plenty of smoke, too – more than you might expect.

This evolving stogie starts off pretty mildly but builds towards a medium body as you approach the final third, brimming with sweet, nutty woodsiness throughout. 

It is, as I’ve come to expect from Arturo Fuente, perfectly balanced.

Especiales Cazadores have an even burn with a smooth easy draw that didn’t require a single touch-up.

Dollar for dollar, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better smoke. And if you do, please let me know in the comments.

• Check out my guide to the best cigars for beginners for more.

Strength	Medium
Shape	Toro
Size	6 x 50
Country	Dominican Republic
Color	Natural
Wrapper Origin	Ecuadorian
Wrapper Leaf	Habano

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Arturo Fuente Chateau Natural – Best Cheap Cigar for Gifting

Chateau Fuente natural is one of the harder Arturo Fuente cigars to find, but if you can get hold of a box you certainly get the rewards.

This smooth and aromatic smoke is a memorable blend that draws upon natural accords of hay and greenery, with evocative hints of leather and crushed black pepper.

As the smoke develops, sweeter notes of cocoa and vanilla arrive to lend Chateau Fuentes a gourmand quality and brighten up the earthiness.

This beautifully wrapped cigar burns evenly, and holds ash very well – it lasted almost half the cigar for me, and that was in the garden with a breeze.

Each cigar comes beautifully presented in a sleeve of Spanish cedar, and opening them feels like a real “event”. This is the perfect cigar to buy a box of to dish out to friends and loved ones – they will think you’re gifting them much more than a $3.50 cigar.

• Check out our full guide on the best Arturo Fuente cigars for more.

Strength	Medium
Shape	Rothschild
Size	4 1/2 x 50
Country	Dominican Republic
Color	Natural
Wrapper Origin	Ecuadorian
Wrapper Leaf	Connecticut Shade

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Padrón 3000 Maduro – Best Strong Cheap Cigar

These box-pressed Maduros are made with sun-grown Nicaraguan tobacco, packed with rich earthy notes of cocoa and spice. A full-bodied smoke that prickles and challenges with an “edgy” flavor, without ever tasting bitter.

Be aware – this is a strong stogie. Be prepared to sit back for over an hour or two and enjoy this smoke leisurely. This is not the sort of smoke you want to play a round of gold with, or you might find yourself being carried home in the buggy.

The 3000 Maduro wrapper looks beautiful, with a slightly longer-than-Robusto shape. It has a subtle dark chocolatey aroma, which carries over to the flavor palate too.

It pairs beautifully with rum, so set aside some time with a buddy and crack open a bottle. It’s virtually impossible to find a finer Maduro for $4.

• Check out our guide to the best Maduro cigars for more

Strength	Full
Shape	Robusto
Size	5 1/2 x 52
Country	Nicaragua
Color	Maduro
Wrapper Origin	Nicaraguan
Wrapper Leaf	Habano

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What You Should Know About the Best Cheap Cigars

What’s the best place to buy cheap cigars online?

It’s hard to believe with over 17 million cigar smokers just in the US that there are little more than a dozen credible places to buy cigars online. 

Now of course there are small shops all over that sell online cigars, but they just don’t come up on any broad google search.

Most will let you down somewhere – if they have good shipping, they’re expensive. If they’re the right price, you’ll lack a proper guarantee.

My favorite online cigar store – Famous Smoke Shop -strikes a great balance, and most importantly – they’re reliable.

There’s nothing worse than your cigars arriving late, not showing up at all, or receiving dried-out stogies in terrible condition.

What’s the best cheap cigar?

The best cheap cigar is the Rocky Patel American Market Selection Toro. This clean, creamy smoke offers a premium cigar experience for just a few bucks a stick, and pairs perfectly with a stiff glass of bourbon.

If you enjoyed this article, check out some of our cigar articles here:

• 6 Best Davidoff Cigars (All Tastes and Budgets)