
Drug abuse and addiction can come with a steep financial cost. Wondering how much street drugs cost —including prescription drugs that are resold for profit—is a common question.
Commonly used drugs include:
- illicit stimulants (e.g. cocaine)
- illicit depressants (e.g. heroin)
- prescription drugs sold on the street
- hallucinogens (e.g. club/party drugs)
- marijuana
If you believe a loved one is buying and using drugs, you might wonder how much money they’re spending. If you buy street drugs yourself, you might be wondering how much they cost.
Cost Of Illegal Drugs
Illegal (illicit) street drugs are sold in every area of the United States.
Unlike medications, illicit drugs are not regulated by the FDA so the cost can vary greatly from one place to the next.
Other factors that may affect how much illicit drugs cost include:
- the type of drug
- the measurement of the drug (ounce, gram, etc.)
- supply and demand
Illegal drugs sold on the street and their corresponding street dose prices include:
- cost of heroin: $5-20/baggie
- cost of cocaine: $20-30/quarter-gram
- cost of crack cocaine: $10-20/.2 grams
- cost of meth: $15-20/quarter-gram
- cost of molly (MDMA/Ecstasy): $20-25/one “point”
Learn more about the cost of illicit drugs sold on the street
Cost Of Legal Drugs On The Street
Legal drugs are also sold all over the United States and may be sold by:
- people who have unused prescriptions
- people who steal other people’s prescriptions and divert them for recreational use
- drug dealers who move these prescriptions in areas with high demand
As with illicit drugs, the cost of prescription drugs sold on the street can vary greatly by location, supply and demand, and other factors.
Learn more about the cost of prescription drugs sold on the street
Examples of drugs that are sold on the street and common prices include:
Opiate Prescription Prices
This group includes the deadly opioid fentanyl, as well as less potent forms of opioids used to treat severe to chronic pain, such as Vicodin (hydrocodone) and OxyContin (oxycodone).
Prices of opioids on the street vary by the drug and the dosage.
Common prices for some of these opioids per pill include:
- cost of OxyContin (oxycodone): anywhere from $12-80
- cost of Vicodin (hydrocodone): $6-8, on average
- cost of Dilaudid (hydromorphone): anywhere from $2-150
- cost of fentanyl: approximately $99 per gram
- carfentanil: approximately $27 per gram
- cost of morphine: $5-50 per gram on average
Benzodiazepine Prescription Prices
“Benzos” are highly sought on the illicit drug market for their depressant effects.
Common prices for benzodiazepine pills sold on the street include:
- cost of Xanax (alprazolam): $2-5/ bar (pill)
- cost of Valium (diazepam): $2-7
- cost of Ativan (lorazepam): $1, on average
Amphetamine Street Prices
Amphetamines are commonly used to treat the behavioral disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), among others.
Street prices for amphetamine pills are as follows, on average:
- cost of Adderall: $15-30
- cost of Vyvanse: $5-10
Other Prescription Drug Street Prices
A vast number of prescription medications are sold on the streets for recreational use.
Some of the most common prescription drug prices per pill on the illicit market include:
- cost of gabapentin: $1-5
- cost of Ritalin: $1-20
- cost of trazodone: >$1
- cost of Wellbutrin (bupropion): $2.50
How Drugs Are Sold: Measurements For Street Drugs
One of the primary factors that can influence the cost of drugs is how it’s sold.
The way that drugs are sold may vary based on: the type of drug, average street pricing, formulation, or the preference of the dealer.
One-Eighth Of An Ounce
An eighth of an ounce, also known as an 8-ball, is a common measurement used to describe quantities of drugs like marjiana (weed) or cocaine. An eight-ball is about 3.5 grams.
By The Quarter-Ounce
Street drugs can also be sold by the quarter, or by the quarter-ounce. How far this will get you will depend on the type of drug and your usual dosage.
For instance, a quarter-ounce of weed—or seven grams—can be used to roll 14 joints at half a gram per joint.
In Grams
Drugs can be sold by the gram. This is common when buying powdered drugs like cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine, as well as non-powder drugs like cannabis and MDMA.
In Bags
Powder drugs like cocaine and heroin may be sold in small baggies. This is an example of drug paraphernalia, which may be identified by a roommate or other loved one.
The cost of drugs sold by the bag will depend on the average weight and the type of drug. For instance, a “baggie” of heroin may cost about $5 to $10 per bag.
Single Doses
Prescription drugs that are resold on the street—as well as party drugs like MDMA—may be sold in single doses for a single event.
A single dose, or a hit, will be less expensive than buying a bottle of pills, buying by gram, or buying by ounce—depending on the type of drug and the typical dosage.
Drug Abuse And Addiction
The use of illicit drugs like cocaine, or the abuse of prescription drugs, can be a sign of drug abuse.
Many drugs commonly sold on the street can become addictive with frequent misuse. This can affect your health, livelihood, and have a steep financial cost.
Drug addiction can also be deadly. More than 70,000 people in the United States died of a drug overdose in 2019, devastating the lives of individuals and families.
Call Today To Find Drug Addiction Treatment
Recovering from drug abuse and addiction is possible with treatment. You don’t have to face this alone.
If you or someone you know is abusing drugs, call our helpline today to find a substance abuse treatment program that’s right for you.
Addiction Resource aims to provide only the most current, accurate information in regards to addiction and addiction treatment, which means we only reference the most credible sources available.
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- ABC 11 Eyewitness News—‘We treat it just like a meth lab:’ Vice unit talks busting large Wake Forest drug operation
https://abc11.com/dmt-drug-wake-county-bust-dust/5674888/ - Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP)—Drug Control Division
https://portal.ct.gov/DCP/Drug-Control-Division/Drug-Control/ - Sacramento County Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—Methamphetamine Trends in the Probation Department
https://dhs.saccounty.net/BHS/Documents/SUPT/Methamphetamine/Coalition-2020/MA-ADS-2020-02-13-Methamphetamine-Trends-in-the-Sacramento-County-Probation-Department.pdf - Save on Cannabis—How Much Does Weed Cost? Cannabis Price Guide 2021
https://saveoncannabis.com/weed-price-guide/ - Seattle Times—Meth makes a comeback and it’s purer, cheaper and much more lethal
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/meth-makes-a-comeback-and-its-purer-cheaper-and-much-more-lethal/ - StreetRX—USA Latest Street Prices for Prescription Drugs
https://streetrx.com/ - The Journal of Pain—Street prices of prescription opioids diverted to the illicit market: data from a national surveillance program
https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(13)00492-6/fulltext - U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)—2020 National Drug Threat Assessment (NDTA)
https://www.dea.gov/documents/2021/03/02/2020-national-drug-threat-assessment - U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)—Drug and Chemical Information
https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_chem_info/index.html - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)—Retail and wholesale drug prices
https://dataunodc.un.org/drugs/prices - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)—Heroin and cocaine prices in Europe and USA
https://dataunodc.un.org/drugs/heroin_and_cocaine_prices_in_eu_and_usa - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)—World Drug Report 2020 (Book 3: Drug Supply)
https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_3.pdf