Facebook Ads Insights Tool

Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks for Entertainment in New Zealand

See how your app install costs compare. Explore mobile acquisition cost benchmarks by industry, region, and platform

Cost Per App Install for Entertainment in New Zealand

October 2024 - October 2025

Insights

Detailed observation of presented data

Facebook Ads benchmarks: cost-per-app-install

Key takeaways

  • Based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks, this analysis looks at cost-per-app-install trends for industry Entertainment and target country New Zealand compared to the global trend.
  • New Zealand’s Entertainment costs are below market in 8 of 9 months; the only exception is a one-off January 2025 spike.
  • The January spike pushes the average far above the global baseline, but the typical month (median) in New Zealand sits roughly 94% below global levels.
  • Outside the January anomaly, volatility is higher than the global trend and costs trend upward into late Q3, aligning with common seasonal lift heading toward peak periods.

What’s in scope

  • Metric: cost-per-app-install (median values by month)
  • Selected: Entertainment in New Zealand
  • Baseline: global aggregate

New Zealand Entertainment overview (selected data)

  • Coverage: 9 months (Oct 2024–Aug 2025).
  • Average: 47.33, driven by a single extreme outlier in Jan 2025 (420.82).
  • Median: 0.64, better reflecting the “typical” month.
  • High: 420.82 (Jan 2025).
  • Low: 0.23 (Feb 2025).
  • First vs. last month: 0.33 (Oct 2024) to 1.81 (Aug 2025), a +441% increase.
  • Volatility:
  • Including all months: dominated by the January spike.
  • Excluding January-related swings, average absolute month-to-month change ≈ 61%, with notable jumps in April (+150%) and August (+138%).
  • Notable movements:
  • Jan 2025: outlier spike to 420.82.
  • Feb 2025: sharp reversion to 0.23 (series low).
  • Aug 2025: climbs to 1.81, the highest “normal” month.

Comparison to the global baseline

  • Using the same months for comparability:
  • Baseline average: 9.85; median: 10.43; high: 15.00 (Aug 2025); low: 6.20 (Oct 2024).
  • Baseline volatility: average absolute month-to-month change ≈ 37%.
  • Baseline change Oct 2024 to Aug 2025: +142%.
  • Relative positioning:
  • New Zealand is below market in 8 of 9 months; only January 2025 is above market.
  • Typical month gap: selected median 0.64 vs. baseline median 10.43 (~94% lower).
  • If you view “typical” performance (ignoring January’s anomaly), the average month in New Zealand is ~0.65 versus a 9.85 global average (~93% lower).

Seasonality and spikes

  • Global seasonality shows elevated costs in Q4 and into mid-year:
  • Baseline rises from October to November and remains high in December.
  • A pronounced global spike appears in June (26.21), beyond the selected series’ coverage.
  • New Zealand’s Entertainment series shows:
  • Mild lift into December, an outlier in January, then steady rebuilding through Q2–Q3 with a late-summer peak in August—broadly in line with rising global costs into peak periods.

Understanding cost-per-app-install benchmarks on Facebook Ads in industry Entertainment and New Zealand helps advertisers make more efficient budget and creative choices.

Understanding the Data

Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs

Facebook advertising costs vary based on many factors including industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objectives. In the Entertainment industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. For campaigns targeting New Zealand, advertisers should consider local market factors and user behavior. 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.

Why we use median instead of average

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.

Key Factors Affecting Facebook Ad Costs

  • Competition within your selected industry and audience demographics
  • Ad quality and relevance score – higher quality ads can lower costs
  • Campaign objective and bid strategy
  • Timing and seasonality – costs often increase during holiday periods
  • Ad placement (News Feed, Instagram, Audience Network, etc.)

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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The data behind the benchmarks

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.

New Zealand Advertising Landscape

National Holidays

Jan 1New Year's Day
Jan 2Day after New Year's Day
Feb 6Waitangi Day
Apr 18Good Friday
Apr 21Easter Monday
Apr 25ANZAC Day
Jun 2King's Birthday
Jun 20Matariki
Oct 27Labour Day
Dec 25Christmas Day
Dec 26Boxing Day

Key Shopping Season

Late November–early December (Black Friday/Cyber Monday), Christmas season (Boxing Day sales), Mid‑year promotions (Matariki in June), Back-to-school (late January/early February)

Potential Advertising Impact

CPM and CPC might rise around Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day as public events increase media consumption. Matariki is new public holiday with growing awareness—advertising may see elevated competition. Late November–December Black Friday/Cyber Monday could drive ad costs significantly. Regional anniversary holidays may cause local inventory shifts.

What's a good CPI for iOS vs Android in 2025?

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.

Why is my app install cost higher in some countries?

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.

What creatives drive the lowest CPI on Facebook?

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.

Should I optimize for installs or in-app actions?

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.

How do I lower CPI without tanking app retention or quality?

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.