Facebook Ads Cost Per Purchase Benchmarks for Marketplaces

Introduction

Marketplaces brands spent 2025 acquiring customers at a consistently lower cost than the broader market, but the ride was bumpy. Cost Per Purchase (CPP) across all countries averaged $38.73 for Marketplaces versus $51.40 globally, a sizable discount of roughly 25%. The year opened firm, slipped into a spring trough, surged in August, then reset to the year’s lowest levels in November before a modest December rebound. Volatility was the defining feature: sharp lifts and quick reversals created a wider range than the global benchmark.

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 CPP started at $45.00 in January and ended at $32.87 in December, a 27% decline across the year. The high point arrived in August at $56.91, while November set the low at $27.10. Average CPP for the category landed at $38.73, well beneath the $51.40 global norm.

Month-to-month movements tell a choppy narrative. After a $10 lift from January to February ($55.12), CPP fell for three straight months, bottoming near $29.70 in May. A mid-year rebound carried into July before a dramatic August spike above the market, followed by an equally sharp September reset back to $29.67. The fourth quarter tracked low: $37.20 in October, the year’s trough at $27.10 in November, and a mild December recovery to $32.87.

Volatility stood out. Average month-to-month swing for Marketplaces was $11.28, roughly 6 times the global benchmark’s $1.77. The category’s annual range spanned nearly $30 ($27–$57), compared with about $10 for the overall market ($45–$55). Peak-to-trough, Marketplaces dropped 52% from August to November; the global series moved a far gentler 18% from its February high to its December low.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonally, Q1 was the most expensive quarter for Marketplaces (average $49.61), followed by softer Q2 ($33.37). Q3 was uneven—anchored by July–September volatility but inflated by August’s spike (quarter average $39.57). Q4 landed as the least expensive at $32.39, with November marking the cheapest CPP of the year. The broader market showed a steadier pattern: a gradual drift lower from a strong Q1 ($53.66) to a softer Q4 ($48.30), consistent with typical year-end dynamics.

Marketplaces vs. Global

Relative to the global benchmark, Marketplaces CPP was below market in 10 of 12 months. The category briefly ran above global levels in February (+0.6%) and August (+7.5%), then reverted firmly below. The narrowest gap arrived in February; the widest shortfall appeared in September (−44%), with similarly deep discounts in May (−43%) and November (−43%). Overall, Marketplaces ran about 25% cheaper than the global average for 2025, while showing markedly higher month-to-month variability.

Closing

Facebook Ads benchmarks for Cost Per Purchase show Marketplaces across all countries delivered lower acquisition costs than the global average, with pronounced volatility, a spring dip, an August spike, and a low-cost finish into Q4. Understanding Cost Per Purchase trends for the Marketplaces industry across all countries helps teams evaluate industry ad performance and compare country-specific ad costs to global patterns.