Here's where it gets interesting. Nicotine salts are often sold in smaller bottles (10ml in the UK, for example), but because you use less liquid per puff, a bottle can last a week or more. Freebase comes in bigger bottles (60ml or 120ml), but if you're chain-vaping at 80W, you might go through 10ml a day. In terms of cost per satisfying session, salts can actually be cheaper.

That said, the initial investment differs. Pod systems are often more affordable than a full sub-ohm setup, but you're tied to specific pods or prefilled cartridges. Freebase devices are more versatile—you can use any tank and any liquid—but you'll pay more upfront for a good mod and tank.

Maintenance costs follow the same pattern. Salts are gentler on coils, so you buy fewer replacement coils. Freebase, especially with sweet liquids, gunks up coils faster. Over a year, that difference adds up.