Some months ago, I went back to smoking my pipes a lot more often than cigars and haven't looked back.
The justification is that I have a couple dozen pipes and a cellar of pipe tobacco. Thus, pipes and tobacco are a lot less expensive than cigars. Further, now that I'm retired, pipes are a better choice and smoking my pipes are a boatload less expensive than cigars.
I still smoke cigars (like 1-2 a week now), but smoke 2-3 bowlfuls of pipe tobacco a day.
I enjoy both. I recommend those of you who haven't smoked a pipe, particularly if cost is a consideration for you, to try smoking a pipe. Like Kent says, start with a Missouri Meerschaum corn cob (less than $10) and an ounce or two of bulk tobacco.