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When I first got into aromatherapy and essential oils, I started with lavender, eucalyptus and peppermint — because there are so many ways to use those 3 essential oils.
Those 3 are relatively cheap essential oils and great ones to start with, in my opinion.
Now that I’ve been using essential oils for over 15 years, I’ve invested a good bit of money in my collection of essential oils — which now includes my favorites and the ones that blend well with others.
Recently, someone asked me which are the best essential oils to buy when you’re on a budget?
I could make a good guess, but I decided to do some research to see which ones are considered cheap essential oils that would be a good buy for a beginner on a budget.
Here’s what I found…
Cheap Essential Oils
Today I’m talking about cheap essential oils — in terms of cost — but I am NOT talking about cheaply made essential oils.
I only use 100% pure essential oils.
These are the least expensive essential oils to buy:
- lemon .05
- lemongrass .05
- wild orange .06
- clove .07
- lime .07
- rosemary .07
- cypress .08
- eucalyptus .08
- fennel .08
- grapefruit .09
- wintergreen .09
- cassia .10
- marjoram .10
- melaleuca .10
- basil .11
- lavender .11
- peppermint .11
- white fir .11
All other essential oils range in price from $.13 to $1.85 per drop.
While these numbers are based on Doterra’s current pricing structure, the order of the oils on this list (from least expensive to most expensive) will be similar, no matter which brand of essential oils you buy.
And just to give you an idea of how many drops you’ll use…
- I use anywhere from 10 to 20 drops when I run my diffuser for 8 to 10 hours a day.
- There are approximately 20 drops of essential oil per milliliter.

I like to help people find unique ways to do things that will save time & money — so I write about “outside the box” Household Tips and Life Hacks that most wouldn’t think of. I’m super-organized. And I LOVE to clean! I even enjoy doing laundry (but not ironing). I’m also a lifelong dog owner — so I often share my favorite tips for living with dogs inside your home (like smart home design choices and dog-friendly cleaning & decorating ideas). Career-wise, I’ve been sharing my best ideas with others by blogging full-time since 1998 (the same year that Google started… and before the days of Facebook and YouTube). Prior to that, I worked in Higher Ed over 10 years before switching gears to pursue activities that I’m truly passionate about instead. For example, I’ve worked at a vet, in a photo lab, and at a zoo — to name a few. I enjoy the outdoors via bicycle, motorcycle, Jeep, or RV. When I’m not cleaning, organizing, decorating, or fixing something… you’ll find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites). To date, I’ve personally written over 200 articles about cleaning, organization, DIY repairs, and household hacks on this site! A few have over 2M shares; many others have over 100K shares.