Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for Marketplaces

Introduction

Marketplaces lead costs spent most of the year running hot, then cooled abruptly. Across all countries, Cost Per Lead (CPL) for the Marketplaces industry opened 2025 at a steep $77 and finished at just $5.86 in January 2026 — a dramatic 92% decline. The middle of the year saw a compression phase, a brief November surge, and then a sharp drop into the new year. Compared to the global benchmark (all industries), Marketplaces CPL averaged higher overall but moved with far sharper month‑to‑month swings and a choppier seasonal rhythm.

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 across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

Marketplaces CPL averaged $45.92 across the 13-month window, with a median of $50.92, ranging from a high of $77.06 in January 2025 to a low of $5.86 in January 2026. The year began elevated: $77 in January fell 25% to $57.63 in February, then steadied in the $56–$67 band through June. A compression arrived in Q3: $34.26 in July and a low of $26.32 in August, with a modest rebound to $33.90 in September and $32.00 in October.

November stood out as the lone Q4 spike, leaping 94% from October to $62.19, before sliding back to $31.42 in December and dropping 81% month over month into January 2026’s $5.86. Volatility averaged 15.58 points per month — roughly 4.4 times the global benchmark’s 3.52 — underscoring how Marketplaces CPLs moved in larger steps than the broader market.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

• Q1 2025 was elevated (average ~$65), with CPLs consistently above the global market.
• Q2 cooled slightly (average ~$58) but remained high.
• Q3 marked the softest stretch (average ~$31), where lead costs tightened materially.
• Q4 was mixed: a subdued October, a November surge, and a December giveback.
• January 2026 delivered a pronounced trough ($5.86), a sharper seasonal dip than the global series, which also softened into year‑end and early Q1.

This pattern aligns with typical Facebook Ads benchmarks where competition often intensifies into Q4 and costs can reset lower across the holidays and early Q1, though Marketplaces amplified these moves.

Country vs. Global

Against the global benchmark (all industries), Marketplaces CPL averaged about 12% higher ($45.92 vs. $40.99). The first half of 2025 ran decisively above market: +120% in January, +44% in February, +84% in March, +52% in April, +30% in May, and +63% in June. The mid‑year turn pushed CPLs below global levels from July through October (−16% to −39%), before a brief return above market in November (+29%). December fell back to −26% versus global, and January 2026 marked the widest downside gap (−83%). The narrowest gap occurred in July (−16%); the widest premium was January 2025 (+120%). While the global series drifted slightly lower year over year (−2% from January to January), Marketplaces moved from peak to trough (−92%).

Closing

Understanding Facebook Ads cost‑per‑lead benchmarks for the Marketplaces industry across all countries — alongside CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance — helps quantify country‑specific ad costs and compare Marketplaces’ volatility to global patterns.