See how your app install costs compare. Explore mobile acquisition cost benchmarks by industry, region, and platform
February 2025 - February 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Recreation and Travel apps saw a turbulent year for cost per app install (CPI) across all countries, swinging from bargain territory in early summer to a sharp late‑Q3 spike. Compared to the global all‑industry benchmark, this category ran a touch cheaper on average but with notably bigger swings month to month. The standout contrasts: an atypical low in June, a September surge to the annual peak, and a December cooldown that reset acquisition costs below where the year began.
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 compared to the global benchmark.
For Recreation and Travel, CPI opened at $8.21 in January and closed at $7.32 in December, a modest 11% decline across the year. The monthly median averaged $11.95, spanning a low of $2.66 in June to a high of $26.13 in September. Volatility was elevated: the average absolute month‑over‑month move was roughly $7.60, meaning typical shifts equaled about two‑thirds of the yearly average — a choppy cadence for acquisition costs.
Key beats:
The pattern broke from the classic “Q1 low, Q4 high” arc. Instead, this category bottomed in June then climbed into late summer, cresting in September. Q4 displayed a two‑month plateau in the mid‑teens followed by a softer December. Overall, the rhythm alternated between compression (May–June) and expansion (July–September), with the most dramatic lift occurring from August to September (+$16.28).
Against the global all‑industry benchmark (2025 average: $13.43), Recreation and Travel ran about 11% lower on average but was more volatile (monthly swings of ~$7.60 vs. the global’s ~$4.46). Month by month, the category oscillated around the market:
The gap was narrowest in July (near parity at +5%) and widest in June (−89% vs. global). Directionally, the global benchmark climbed from $7.10 in January to $10.43 in December (+47%), buoyed by a June spike ($23.76) and a steady late‑year plateau. Recreation and Travel moved in the opposite direction overall (−11%), with a mid‑year trough and a late‑summer surge that the broader market did not mirror to the same extent.
These Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per app install show that Recreation and Travel across all countries was slightly cheaper than the global average but meaningfully more volatile, defined by a June low, a September peak, and a Q4 taper. Understanding CPI dynamics for Recreation and Travel in all countries helps marketers interpret country‑specific ad costs and industry ad performance against global patterns.
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.
Discover detailed cost benchmarks for different Facebook advertising metrics:
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Cost per thousand impressions across different markets
Benchmark click-through rates for Facebook ads
Cost per lead across different markets
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See how much it costs to get users to install an app