Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for Marketplaces

Introduction

Marketplaces ran a pricier and choppier cost-per-lead story than the broader market, swinging from a January high to a December low while the all‑industry trend moved more steadily. Across all countries, Marketplaces’ CPL started elevated, softened through midyear, spiked briefly in November, then dropped sharply into December—ending far below the global average. 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 Marketplaces globally compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

Over the 13-month window (Dec 2024–Dec 2025), Marketplaces’ median CPL averaged $47, peaking at $78.21 in January and bottoming at $19.72 in December. The period opened at $56.70 (Dec 2024) and closed 65% lower, pointing to a sustained downtrend with interruptions rather than a smooth slope.

The year’s shape was distinct:

• Q1 stayed elevated (Jan–Mar: $78.21 → $58.04 → $60.74).
• Spring eased (Apr–Jun: $60.37 → $40.97 → $48.51).
• Q3 marked the low plateau (Jul–Sep average near $30.0).
• Q4 turned volatile: October steadied at $33.58, November surged to $64.63, and December plunged to the cycle low at $19.72.

Volatility was the defining feature. Average month-to-month movement in Marketplaces CPL reached $14.78, nearly 4x the global benchmark’s $3.91, with the sharpest swings in early Q1 (+$21.5 MoM in January) and late Q4 (+$31.0 in November, −$44.9 in December).

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonality split the year in two. H1 2025 averaged $57.81, then H2 slid to $34.67—a 40% lower back half. The midyear trough was concentrated in Q3 (Jul–Sep averaging about $30), a calm but compressed period after spring’s comedown. Q4 diverged from typical year-end rhythms: Marketplaces saw a November spike to one of the highest months of the year before a decisive December reset to the lowest CPL observed.

By contrast, the all‑industry benchmark climbed gradually through late Q3/early Q4 (peaking around $48 in Sep–Oct) and then eased in December, reflecting more familiar end-of-year competition and budget dynamics.

Country vs. Global

Compared with the all‑industry global benchmark, Marketplaces CPL averaged 17% higher over the period ($47 vs. $40). The gap was widest in January, when Marketplaces ran roughly 2.2x the global CPL (+124%). Through spring, the premium narrowed (May was only +5%), then flipped negative through much of Q3 and October:

• July to October trailed the market by 15% to 39%.
• August and December were the deepest discounts (around −39% vs. global).
• November briefly reasserted a premium (+41%).

Trajectory also differed: while the global benchmark slipped a modest 15% from Dec 2024 to Dec 2025, Marketplaces fell 65%. H1/H2 splits highlight the divergence: the global average rose 15% in H2, whereas Marketplaces fell 40%.

Closing

In short, Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per lead in the Marketplaces industry across all countries show a high-cost, high‑volatility first half, a compressed Q3, and an unusually sharp Q4 swing that ended at the year’s low. Understanding CPL trends for Marketplaces globally helps teams evaluate industry ad performance, compare to the all‑industry benchmark, and contextualize country‑specific ad costs within broader CPM/CTR performance cycles.