Facebook Ads Cost Per Purchase Benchmarks for Marketplaces

Introduction

Marketplaces across all countries ran cheaper purchases than the broader market but with far sharper swings. Cost Per Purchase (CPP) averaged $37.51 for the period, materially below the global benchmark’s $49.33, yet the path was choppy: a rock-bottom November, a Q1 surge peaking in February, a spring cool-off, and a late-summer spike followed by a September pullback. The standout feature is volatility—brief runs above market punctuating a year that was otherwise priced below 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 across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

Marketplaces CPP started at just $13.17 in November 2024 and ended at $35.42 in October 2025—up 169% from the opening month. The low was November ($13.17), while the high arrived in February ($54.71), with another near-peak in August ($54.51). Across the 12 months, CPP averaged $37.51, with a wide range of $41.55 versus the global range of $11.23.

Month-to-month movement was pronounced. From November to February, CPP more than tripled (+316%) before easing 11% in March and sliding 32% in April and 15% in May to a spring trough near $28. The series rebounded 27% in June, dipped in July, spiked 71% in August, then fell 48% in September and stabilized in October (+24%). Average absolute monthly change was $12.30, almost 5x the global benchmark’s $2.58—clear evidence of more erratic Marketplaces pricing despite the lower overall level.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

The year’s rhythm centered on a strong Q1 and a softer spring:

• Q1 2025 (Jan–Mar) was the peak stretch, averaging $50.70, led by February’s high.
• Q2 (Apr–Jun) marked the trough at $32.21, with April–May the softest months.
• Q3 (Jul–Sep) was mixed at $38.27, combining an August spike with a September reset.
• Early Q4 (October) showed moderate stabilization at $35.42, above September but well below Q1 highs.

While Q4 is often competitive in Facebook Ads benchmarks, the data here shows an unusual November floor followed by a gradual rebuild into year-start, emphasizing that industry ad performance can diverge from familiar CPM analysis or CTR performance patterns when purchase costs are the focal metric.

Marketplaces vs. global benchmark

Marketplaces ran below the global CPP in 10 of 12 months and briefly moved above market in February (+1.6%) and August (+8%). The widest discount appeared in November (−69% vs. global), with other deep gaps in May (−45%) and September (−42%). On average, Marketplaces were 24% below the global CPP.

Trend lines also differed. The global series rose smoothly into February (peak $53.84) and eased to October ($43.33), a −19% slide from peak to period-end. Marketplaces followed a choppier arc: peak in February ($54.71) followed by a −35% drift to October. In short, Marketplaces were cheaper than market but more volatile, with a few sharp spikes compressing the gap.

Closing

Understanding Facebook Ads benchmarks for Cost Per Purchase in the Marketplaces industry across all countries highlights a year of lower-than-average prices, punctuated by outsized monthly swings. This country-agnostic, industry-specific CPP view complements broader CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance, helping teams contextualize Marketplaces ad costs against global patterns.