Compare mobile acquisition cost benchmarks by industry, region, and platform.
October 2025 - September 2026
Benchmark observations based on the selected data
Big picture: Recreation and Travel’s cost-per-app-install (CPI) in this dataset ran higher and far choppier than the global benchmark across the second half of 2025. 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 Recreation and Travel in All countries available compared to the global benchmark.
CPI for Recreation and Travel (All countries) started July 2025 at roughly $29.22 per install and finished December 2025 at about $7.32 — a steep 75% decline from peak to finish. Over those six months the median CPI averaged about $17.45, with a high of $29.22 (July) and a low of $7.32 (December). Monthly movement was large: July → August collapsed by roughly $19.37 (−66%), then rebounded by about $16.28 into September (+165% vs August), softened again into October (−42%), ticked up in November (+14%), and dropped sharply into December (−57%). Volatility measured as a standard deviation was about $8 per month (coefficient of variation ~46%), reflecting big swings rather than steady drift.
By contrast the global baseline over the same July–December 2025 window sat much lower and smoother: a median of about $13.13 per install, ranging from $9.36 (Dec) to $16.43 (Oct). The global monthly range was roughly $7, far narrower than the $22 spread seen in Recreation and Travel.
The Recreation and Travel CPI series shows acute Q3 spikes and a Q4 softening rhythm. July and September registered the two highest points in the period, while October–December displayed a cooling pattern culminating in the December trough. The series’ month-to-month swings make the rhythm feel stop‑start rather than gradual; spike–dip–rebound behavior dominates the narrative. The baseline, in contrast, moved more modestly through late summer and early autumn before also easing into December.
Relative to the global benchmark, Recreation and Travel (All countries) was generally above market but with intermittent underperformance. Averaged across the six months, CPI was about 33% higher than the global median (17.45 vs 13.13). Month-by-month gaps varied widely: July was nearly three times the global CPI (+194%), September was about two-thirds higher (+67%), November was modestly elevated (+15%), while August, October and December fell below baseline (August −21%, October −9%, December −22%). In short: Recreation and Travel showed more volatile, higher-cost app installs overall compared with the smoother global CPI trend.
Understanding cost-per-app-install benchmarks for Recreation and Travel in All countries available supports comparisons against broader Facebook Ads benchmarks, CPC trends, CPM analysis, CTR performance and country-specific ad costs within industry ad performance narratives.
Facebook advertising cost benchmarks
Facebook advertising costs vary by industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objective. In the Recreation and Travel industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. Geographic targeting affects ad costs through regional competition and user engagement. Campaign objectives affect costs because Facebook optimizes delivery for different goals. The data shows median values across multiple campaigns. Results can vary with ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.
A small share of campaigns has extremely high CPI values. Those outliers can inflate an average. The median is the midpoint across campaigns, so it better represents a typical result.
The data shows industry median benchmarks. Costs can vary with targeting, creative quality, and campaign optimization.
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The dataset includes over $3B in Facebook ad spend from thousands of ad accounts that use Superads to analyze and improve campaigns. Every data point is anonymized and aggregated. It does not expose an individual advertiser.
The dataset updates as new ad data is available.
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 that show app benefits, UGC-style content, and localized messaging tend to perform best. Clear CTAs and fast-paced visuals can lower CPI.
Optimizing for installs increases volume. Optimizing for actions such as signups or purchases brings higher-quality users. Choose based on your goals and the importance of post-install behavior.
Align creative with the app experience, avoid misleading ads, and exclude people who already installed. Test lookalike audiences based on high-quality users rather than all installers.
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