Policies that promote smoking cessation are highly cost-effective, and are more cost-effective than many other government-financed health interventions.

Research indicates that the cost per life year saved of smoking cessation interventions and policies are small compared to other health care interventions. The World Bank suggests that health interventions that can be delivered for less than a country's average per capita gross domestic product (GDP) per life year saved are cost-effective. This decision rule supports policies that cost USD $765 or less in low-income countries. In high-income countries, the cost-effectiveness of smoking cessation has been established. Higher taxes leading to 10% price increases would cost between US $18 and $151 per DALY (disability-adjusted life year), where the costs are those associated with implementation and enforcement. Non-price interventions including wider access to NRT are also cost-effective measures, ranging from $140 to $2,805 per DALY. According to the World Health Organization, combining tax increases with other tobacco control measures is a very cost-effective way to improve population health. Tobacco control measures (with the exception of tax increases) when implemented in isolation are less cost effective. The interventions leading to smoking cessation are cost-effective relative to other health interventions (e.g. child immunization cost is about $25 per DALY).

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