See how your app install costs compare. Explore mobile acquisition cost benchmarks by industry, region, and platform
January 2025 - January 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Australia’s cost per app install (CPI) tracked well below the global benchmark for most of the year, with an early spike followed by a steady slide into year-end lows. The standout contrasts: a March surge, a mid-year reset, and an unusually soft Q4 that moved against the typical global pattern of rising costs. This analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks. This analysis explores ad performance trends for all industries in Australia compared to the global benchmark.
Across the observed period (Dec 2024–Dec 2025), Australia’s CPI averaged 7.26, ranging from a high of 14.23 in March to a low of 3.02 in December. The year opened at 9.35 in December 2024 and closed at 3.02 in December 2025—a 68% decline over the period. Notable month-to-month movements included a near-doubling from February to March (+99%), a pullback in April (−33%), and a sharp year-end drop from November to December (−40%).
Volatility in Australia averaged 2.76 per month (absolute change), indicating moderate variability with a few large swings (notably February→March and June→August). By comparison, global CPI changes were choppier at 4.10 on average, with the most dramatic moves around June and July.
Overall dispersion was wide: Australia’s range spanned 11.21 points (3.02–14.23) on a 7.26 average, reflecting a market that swung sharply early and then eased persistently into Q4.
The rhythm in Australia diverged from typical late-year pressures. After a relatively efficient January–February band (around the 7s), CPI spiked in March to 14.23, then reset through April and May, briefly lifting again in June. From August onward, costs compressed into a tight 4.6–5.0 band before breaking lower in December to the annual trough at 3.02.
Seasonally, global CPI tended to intensify mid-year and remain elevated through Q4. Australia’s pattern inverted: a Q1 surge, Q2 normalization, and softer late-year costs. Q1 in Australia averaged 9.58; Q2 eased to 8.95; Q4 dropped further to 4.28, pointing to lower country-specific ad costs when global competition typically pushes prices higher.
Against the global benchmark, Australia averaged 7.26 versus 14.11 globally across matching months—about 49% lower. Australia was below the global CPI in 10 of 12 months; only January (+4% vs. global) and March (+59%) rose above market.
The gap widened materially as the year progressed. At its narrowest, Australia sat 4% above global CPI in January. By December, Australia was 82% below the global level (3.02 vs. 17.03). While the global trend lifted mid-year (peaking at 23.76 in June) and stayed elevated through Q4 (averaging 16.29 from August–December), Australia compressed to an average of 4.45 across the same late-year period—roughly 73% below market.
In momentum terms, the global line rose steadily (+16% from January to March, then a strong mid-year surge), whereas Australia’s was front-loaded and then trended downward for most of the second half.
As a Facebook Ads benchmarks view of country-specific ad costs, this CPI analysis shows that all industries in Australia experienced an early peak and a clear late-year softening that contrasted with global seasonality. Understanding cost per app install trends for all industries in Australia helps marketers interpret industry ad performance relative to worldwide patterns, beyond broader CPC trends, CPM analysis, or CTR performance.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Facebook advertising costs vary based on many factors including industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objectives. Different industries see varying ad costs due to market competition, user demographics, and conversion value. For campaigns targeting Australia, advertisers typically see good engagement rates despite moderate costs. Different campaign objectives lead to varying costs based on how Facebook optimizes for your specific goals. The data shown represents median values across multiple campaigns, and individual results may vary based on ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.
We use the median CTR because the underlying distribution of click-through rates is highly skewed, with a small share of campaigns achieving extremely high CTRs. These outliers can inflate a simple average, making it less representative of what most advertisers actually experience. By using the median—which sits at the midpoint of all campaigns—we provide a more rigorous and realistic benchmark that reflects the true underlying data model and helps you set attainable performance expectations.
Note: This data represents industry median values and benchmarks. Your actual costs may vary based on specific targeting, ad creative quality, and campaign optimization.
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All data is sourced from over $3B in Facebook ad spend, collected across thousands of ad accounts that use Superads daily to analyze and improve their campaigns. Every data point is fully anonymized and aggregated—no individual advertiser is ever exposed.
This dataset updates frequently as new ad data flows in. It will only get bigger and better.
Late December (Christmas and Boxing Day), Early December (Cyber Monday), January (Back-to-school), May (Mother's Day)
Ad costs could spike around major holidays, especially Easter, Anzac Day, and Christmas. Increased budgets and earlier scheduling may be necessary. Retailers should consider planning promotions around back-to-school and Mother's Day to maximize campaign effectiveness.
iOS CPIs often range from $2 to $5 or more. Android is usually cheaper, between $1 and $3. Your CPI will depend on geo, creative, and optimization goal.
Some regions like the US, UK, and Canada have higher competition and stricter privacy regulations, which drive up costs. Countries with lower purchasing power typically have cheaper CPIs.
Short videos showing app benefits, UGC-style content, and localized messaging tend to perform best. Clear CTAs and fast-paced visuals help lower your CPI.
Optimizing for installs gets volume, but optimizing for actions like signups or purchases brings higher quality users. It depends on your goals and how much post-install behavior matters.
Align your creative with the app experience, avoid misleading ads, and exclude users who already installed. You can also test lookalike audiences based on high-quality users, not just all installers.
Discover detailed cost benchmarks for different Facebook advertising metrics:
Average cost per click benchmarks across industries
Cost per thousand impressions across different markets
Benchmark click-through rates for Facebook ads
Cost per lead across different markets
Average cost per purchase benchmarks across industries
See how much it costs to get users to install an app