Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks in United States

Introduction

The headline: U.S. cost per app install climbed well above the global baseline over the last 13 months, with two pronounced spikes and unusually large month-to-month swings. 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 available in the United States compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

Viewed as cost per app install (CPI), the United States began July 2025 at about $18.31 and finished July 2026 at roughly $100.37 — a roughly 450% increase from start to finish. Across the period the U.S. median CPI averaged about $34.8, with a low of $16.36 in December 2025 and a high of $100.37 in July 2026. By comparison the global baseline averaged roughly $21.8 over the same months, with its own low near $9.36 (Dec 2025) and a peak of $96.91 (July 2026).

Key monthly moves read like a volatility plot: a steady climb from summer into October 2025, a year‑end dip into December, a sharp rebound into January and a dramatic surge in February 2026 (U.S. CPI ~$55.52). After a pullback in March, CPI trends upward through May–June and then more than doubles into July 2026. The U.S. median CPI therefore shows both pronounced peaks (Feb and Jul 2026) and troughs (Dec 2025).

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonally, the series softens through Q4 — October’s $26.93 falls back to December’s $16.36 — then rebounds in early Q1. This follows a common rhythm where Q4 gives way to a Q1 spike: “Performance typically softens through Q4 as competition rises, with engagement rebounding in early Q1.” February shows an outsized jump (to $55.52) before a mid‑Q1 retreat; a second multi‑month ascent accelerates into a July apex. The pattern is punctuated rather than smooth, combining holiday season softness, a winter rebound and a strong summer peak.

Volatility is a defining feature. The U.S. series averaged an absolute month‑to‑month change of about $13.05 and an average absolute monthly percent swing near 40%. The global baseline shows even larger average percent swings (~77%), largely driven by an extreme baseline jump into July 2026, but the U.S. path is consistently choppier than a typical low‑variance ad cost series.

Country vs. Global

Across the window the United States ran materially above global levels: mean U.S. CPI was about 60% higher than the global median ($34.8 vs $21.8). Month by month the U.S. tracked the same pulse as the baseline — both show February and July elevations — but the U.S. magnified those moves. In February 2026 U.S. CPI (~$55.5) was roughly 84% above the baseline (~$30.1). At the July 2026 peak the gap narrows: U.S. $100.4 vs global $96.9 (a small premium). Overall, the U.S. series was above market for most months and displayed high month‑to‑month swings compared with the baseline.

Closing

Understanding COST_PER_APP_INSTALL benchmarks and Facebook Ads benchmarks for All industries available in the United States gives a clear sense of country-specific ad costs, CPI volatility, and industry ad performance relative to global CPM analysis and broader CPC trends.