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Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for Marketing & Advertising in New Zealand

See how your CPL compares. Explore lead generation cost benchmarks by industry, region, and campaign type

Cost Per Lead for Marketing & Advertising in New Zealand

October 2024 - October 2025

Insights

Detailed observation of presented data

Key takeaways

  • This analysis looks at cost per lead (CPL) trends for industry Marketing & Advertising and target country New Zealand compared to the global trend. It is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks.
  • New Zealand is well below market: average CPL of 14.03 versus the global baseline’s 35.80, a 60.8% lower level overall.
  • Volatility is higher in New Zealand (average month‑to‑month move of 9.04) than globally (4.50). Spikes in October 2024 and April 2025 stand out, followed by sharp corrections.
  • Seasonal patterns show a typical Q4 lift in the global baseline, while New Zealand peaked early in October and cooled through December. Mid‑2025 delivered the lowest CPLs, particularly July–August.

Dataset and scope

  • Metric: cost per lead
  • Industry: Marketing & Advertising
  • Country: New Zealand
  • Benchmark: global baseline (all industries/countries)
  • Platform context: Facebook Ads benchmarks and advertising cost trends

New Zealand CPL overview

  • Average: 14.03 across Sep 2024–Sep 2025.
  • High/low: High of 31.16 (Oct 2024); low of 4.00 (Jul 2025). Range: 27.16.
  • Start to end change: from 16.51 (Sep 2024) to 14.41 (Sep 2025), down 12.7%.
  • Volatility: average absolute month‑to‑month change of 9.04 (about 64% of the mean), indicating pronounced swings.
  • Notable moves:
  • Oct 2024 surged to 31.16 (+88.7% vs Sep).
  • Apr 2025 spiked to 30.14 (+285% vs Mar), then fell to 11.91 in May (‑60.5% vs Apr).
  • The trough arrived in Jul 2025 at 4.00, with a gradual rebound by Sep 2025 (14.41).

Comparison with the global baseline

  • Level: New Zealand’s average CPL (14.03) is far below the global baseline (35.80). In 12 of 13 months, New Zealand remained below the global trend; only Oct 2024 was marginally above.
  • High/low: Global high 41.58 (Nov 2024) and low 20.63 (Sep 2025); range 20.95 versus New Zealand’s wider 27.16.
  • Volatility: New Zealand’s average month‑to‑month movement (9.04) was about 2× the global baseline’s (4.50). Relative to their respective means, that’s 64% for New Zealand vs 13% globally.
  • Trend: The global series declined 37.3% from Sep 2024 to Sep 2025 (32.88 to 20.63), while New Zealand eased 12.7% over the same period. In Sep 2025, New Zealand remained 30% below the global baseline (14.41 vs 20.63).

Seasonal patterns and timeline highlights

  • Q4 dynamics: The global baseline exhibits the typical holiday rise—October to December climbed from 31.12 to 41.58/39.63. In New Zealand, the Q4 lift was front‑loaded, peaking in October (31.16) before cooling into November–December (17.79 and 12.23).
  • Mid‑year softness: New Zealand’s CPLs compressed markedly mid‑2025, hitting a low in July (4.00) and staying lean in August (5.19), before rebounding into September (14.41).
  • Spring spike: April 2025 in New Zealand saw a sharp, isolated jump (30.14) not mirrored to the same extent globally.

Understanding cost per lead benchmarks on Facebook Ads in Marketing & Advertising and New Zealand helps advertisers make more efficient budget and creative choices.

Understanding the Data

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 Marketing & Advertising industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. 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.

Why we use median instead of average

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.

Key Factors Affecting Facebook Ad Costs

  • Competition within your selected industry and audience demographics
  • Ad quality and relevance score – higher quality ads can lower costs
  • Campaign objective and bid strategy
  • Timing and seasonality – costs often increase during holiday periods
  • Ad placement (News Feed, Instagram, Audience Network, etc.)

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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The data behind the benchmarks

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.

New Zealand Advertising Landscape

National Holidays

Jan 1New Year's Day
Jan 2Day after New Year's Day
Feb 6Waitangi Day
Apr 18Good Friday
Apr 21Easter Monday
Apr 25ANZAC Day
Jun 2King's Birthday
Jun 20Matariki
Oct 27Labour Day
Dec 25Christmas Day
Dec 26Boxing Day

Key Shopping Season

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)

Potential Advertising Impact

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.

What is considered a good cost per lead on Facebook in 2025?

A good CPL usually ranges from $10 to $50, depending on your industry and target audience. B2C offers tend to be cheaper, while B2B or high-ticket services may see CPLs over $100.

Why is my CPL higher than industry averages?

Your CPL could be high due to weak creative, irrelevant targeting, or an offer that doesn't resonate. Low engagement or poor conversion rates on your landing page can also drive up costs.

Does campaign objective impact CPL?

Yes. Campaigns optimized for conversions or leads tend to generate cheaper and more qualified leads compared to traffic or engagement objectives. Facebook needs clear signals to find the right users.

How can I generate leads at a lower cost without hurting lead quality?

Focus on improving your offer, targeting the right audience, and using high-converting creative. Test native lead forms, but make sure you're still qualifying users properly.

Should I optimize for leads or conversions if my goal is pipeline growth?

If your goal is sales or revenue, optimizing for deeper funnel conversions is better. Optimizing for leads alone can inflate volume but hurt quality.