See how your app install costs compare. Explore mobile acquisition cost benchmarks by industry, region, and platform
July 2025 - July 2026
Detailed observation of presented 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.
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 Recreation and Travel industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. Geographic targeting affects ad costs based on market competition and user engagement in different regions. 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.
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.
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See how much it costs to get users to install an app