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July 2025 - July 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
New Zealand’s cost-per-app-install trajectory ran under the global benchmark for most of the 13‑month window, but the story is punctuated by sharp month-to-month swings and a few periods of outperformance. 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 New Zealand compared to the global benchmark.
Starting at 18.94 (June 2025) and ending at 13.36 (June 2026), New Zealand’s median COST_PER_APP_INSTALL averaged roughly 11.8 across the period. The series ranged from a high of 18.94 (June 2025) to a low of about 8.81 (February 2026). Numerically, volatility measured by standard deviation was about 2.5 — modest compared with the global benchmark’s standard deviation (~5.1), which was lifted by a pronounced global spike in February 2026.
Month-to-month movement was lively: New Zealand saw an initial drop of ~36% between June and July 2025, intermittent rebounds of 20–30% (December 2025 and March 2026), and a late surge into June 2026 (+49% from May). Overall, NZ’s cost per install declined roughly 30% from the opening month to the closing month. The median across all months (≈11.8) sat about 24% below the global average (≈15.6), reflecting generally lower country-specific ad costs during this period.
Rhythms in the New Zealand series show softer pockets and quick recoveries rather than a smooth seasonal curve. Late Q3 and much of Q4 2025 registered lower-to-mid teens, with a visible uptick in December. Q1 2026 began with a dip (February trough at 8.81) followed by a rebound into March and April, then another dip in May and a sharp rise in June. The global series, by contrast, featured a large February spike that disrupted cross‑market comparisons and inflated baseline volatility for that month.
These dynamics produced several abrupt monthly moves of 20–50%, rather than gentle seasonal shifts — a pattern that reads as episodic demand and competitive pressure concentrated in single months.
Comparing New Zealand to the global benchmark month-by-month shows a mixed picture. At its narrowest gap New Zealand was essentially in line with global levels (June 2025, ~3% above). At its widest, New Zealand trailed global costs by roughly 71% in February 2026, when the global median spiked to about 30.13 while New Zealand fell to 8.81. Across the year New Zealand was more often below the global median — roughly 8 of 13 months — and the gap typically ranged from modest (single‑digit percent) to very large (30–70% below) depending on the global spike months. In absolute terms the global trend fell from ~18.36 to ~11.85 over the window, while New Zealand fell from ~18.94 to ~13.36.
Understanding these movements in the context of Facebook Ads benchmarks, CPC trends and CPM analysis highlights how country-specific ad costs and industry ad performance can diverge from global medians — sometimes dramatically — over short time spans.
Understanding COST_PER_APP_INSTALL benchmarks for all industries in New Zealand helps advertisers interpret country-specific ad costs and compare local performance to global Facebook Ads benchmarks and wider CPC and CPM trends.
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 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.
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.
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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)
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.
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