Philip Morris Egypt raises cigarette and heated-tobacco prices for the second time in 2026
Philip Morris Egypt has raised prices across its cigarette and heated-tobacco brands, effective Thursday 5 November 2026, its second increase of the year after February. Merit rises to EGP 121 a pack, Marlboro to EGP 109 and L&M to EGP 88, while Marlboro Crafted and HEETS are unchanged.
The new prices
Under the revised list, Merit cigarettes of all variants now cost EGP 121 a pack, up from EGP 111 — a rise of EGP 10, or about 9.0%. Marlboro of all variants rose by EGP 7 to EGP 109, up from EGP 102, while L&M rose by EGP 6 to EGP 88, up from EGP 82. Among heated-tobacco products, TEREA rose to EGP 88 a pack, up from EGP 82, and TEREA Capsules to EGP 93, up from EGP 87. Two products were left unchanged: Marlboro Crafted stays at EGP 79 a pack and HEETS at EGP 69.
How shoppers can check the price
Philip Morris Egypt said the official prices are printed on product packaging through QR codes, a system the company introduced on cigarette and heated-tobacco packs in 2022, so adult smokers can verify what they should be paying at the till. The company called on retailers and distributors to comply with the newly announced prices, which took effect across Egypt on 5 November.
Why the increase comes now
The price rise coincides with a scheduled change to the tax rules: a 12% increase in the VAT price-bracket limits for cigarettes also took effect on Thursday 5 November 2026, under amendments approved in June 2025 that allow the limits to rise by 12% a year for three years. The higher limits let cigarette companies raise prices by up to 12% without moving into a higher tax bracket. Ibrahim Embabi, head of the tobacco division at the Federation of Egyptian Industries, said companies would study production costs in the coming days before deciding on further moves, and noted that prices do not necessarily rise with the bracket change. The last broad increase in cigarette prices in Egypt was in February 2026.
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