Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks for Consumer Goods

Introduction

Consumer Goods app install costs swung from extreme inflation to bargain-level lows across all countries, carving a two-act story that diverged sharply from the global benchmark. Costs escalated through late Q4 and into Q1, peaking in February before collapsing to single digits by early Q2 and staying soft through late Q3. Volatility was the defining feature, with one of the widest peak-to-trough ranges in the dataset. 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 Consumer Goods in all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

Across eight monthly medians (Nov 2024–Sep 2025), Consumer Goods cost per app install (CPAI) averaged 281, lifted by an extraordinary February spike. The series started at 32.59 in November 2024 and ended at 4.85 in September 2025, an 85% decline from start to finish.

• High: 1,727.97 in February 2025
• Low: 3.18 in June 2025
• Range: 1,724.79 points

Momentum was dramatic. November to December rose +337% (32.59 to 142.25), December to January added another +124% (318.50), and January to February surged +443% to the 1.73k peak. The correction was just as sharp: February to April fell −99% to 11.24, then slid to the cycle low of 3.18 in June. A modest lift in August (7.78) eased back to 4.85 in September.

Volatility stood out. The average absolute month-over-month swing was 490 points for Consumer Goods versus just 6 points for the global benchmark over the same months—an order of magnitude difference that underscores how atypical the Q1 spike was. Even excluding February, Consumer Goods still averaged 74 across the period.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonality showed a classic Q4-to-Q1 rise but in amplified form: costs climbed through the holidays and accelerated into January and February. Post-Q1, the market reset decisively—April brought the break in trend, with costs settling into low single digits across June, August, and September. The rhythm resembled a front-loaded year: elevated acquisition costs in late Q4 and Q1, followed by a prolonged trough through the summer, with only a slight uptick in August before softening again in September.

Country vs. Global

Compared with the global benchmark, Consumer Goods alternated from far above market to materially below:

• November–February: consistently above global levels, ranging from +86% in November to an extraordinary +13,328% in February (1,727.97 vs. 12.87). The four-month average was 555 for Consumer Goods versus 12.56 globally—about 44× higher.
• April–September: decisively below global, from −24% in April to −89% in June. The four-month average was 6.76 for Consumer Goods versus 21.31 for the benchmark—about 68% lower.

While the global baseline rose modestly across the period (+29% from 17.55 in November to 22.72 in September), Consumer Goods fell sharply (−85%), reflecting a choppier, more volatile path.

Closing

For Facebook Ads benchmarks, the cost per app install story in Consumer Goods across all countries is one of extremes: a Q4–Q1 surge culminating in February, followed by a long stretch of low, stable prices into late Q3. Understanding cost-per-install trends for Consumer Goods in all countries, and how they contrast with the steadier global benchmark, helps frame country-specific ad costs and industry ad performance within broader CPAI dynamics.