Yes you definitely want butane in a lighter. Not sure if the $1 Bic is butane, but Walmart and Rite Aid sell a Ronson JetLite single flame torch lighter for around $3 and many BOTL's (including myself) swear by them. They are cheap and you rarely have issues with them. In a lot of Walmarts, they are sold in the tobacco aisle... mine sells them up front in a check out line that has all their tobacco products.
http://www.ronsonusa.com/jetlite.aspx