Facebook Ads Insights Tool

Facebook Ads Cost Per Purchase Benchmarks in New Zealand

See how your purchase costs compare. Explore ecommerce conversion cost benchmarks by industry, region, and campaign type

Cost Per Purchase in New Zealand

February 2025 - February 2026

Insights

Detailed observation of presented data

Introduction

New Zealand’s Facebook Ads benchmarks for Cost per Purchase in 2025 tell a story of sharp swings around an otherwise modest full‑year average. While the global market held steady around the low‑50s, New Zealand averaged 49.4, finishing well below where it began after a dramatic mid‑year surge and an equally steep late‑year slide. Peaks arrived late (August), troughs landed hard (November), and volatility was many times higher than the global pattern. 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 all industries in New Zealand compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

New Zealand started 2025 elevated at 74.0 and ended at 25.7, a 65% drop across the year. The median Cost per Purchase ranged from a high of 83.5 in August to a low of 20.9 in November, averaging 49.4 across the twelve months. The path was anything but linear: a 40% pullback from January to February (74.0 → 44.5), a further slide into April (29.5), then a powerful run-up through winter to the August peak (+183% from April to August). From there, costs collapsed by 52% in September and kept falling into November before a 23% rebound to December.

Volatility was the defining feature. New Zealand’s month‑to‑month absolute change averaged 16.4 points, compared to just 1.6 globally—roughly ten times the swing. The sharpest single move was August to September (−43.6 points), with additional breaks in January to February (−29.5) and April to May (+20.8).

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonality played out atypically in New Zealand. Q1 opened high and eased into an April trough—a common early‑year pattern—but the market then marched higher into mid‑winter, culminating in August’s year‑high. The back half diverged clearly from global rhythms: instead of gradually firming into Q4, New Zealand’s Cost per Purchase weakened markedly through spring and early holiday weeks, bottoming in November before stabilizing in December. On a half‑year basis, H1 averaged 52.8 versus 46.0 in H2, a 13% decline; globally the decline from H1 to H2 was gentler at about 4%.

Country vs. Global

Against the global benchmark (51.7 average), New Zealand ran slightly cheaper overall (−4%), but with much wider amplitude. The market sat above global levels in January (+39%), June (+32%), July (+48%), and August (+57%), and below in most other months: February (−19%), March (−2%), April (−44%), May (−4%), September (−25%), October (−37%), November (−56%), and December (−46%). The gap was narrowest in March (rough parity) and widest in August (+57% above) and November (−56% below). While the global trend eased gradually from February’s high (54.8) to December (47.6) for a 10% year‑end decline, New Zealand traced a choppier arc—soaring into August before a late‑year reset.

Closing

As a snapshot of country‑specific ad costs, these Facebook Ads benchmarks highlight how Cost per Purchase for all industries in New Zealand in 2025 hovered slightly below the global average but moved far more dramatically month to month. Understanding Cost per Purchase trends in New Zealand—alongside the steadier global baseline—helps contextualize industry ad performance and compare local outcomes to global patterns.

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. Different industries see varying ad costs due to market competition, user demographics, and conversion value. 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.

Optimize Smarter with Superads

Improve your Facebook ad performance

Instant performance insights – See which ads, audiences, and creatives drive results.

Data-driven creative decisions – Spot patterns to improve ROAS.

Effortless reporting – No spreadsheets, just clear insights.

Get Started for free →

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's a healthy cost per purchase for ecommerce brands?

It depends on your product price and margins. Most brands aim for $10 to $50. For higher-ticket products, a higher CPA may be acceptable as long as you're maintaining a strong return on ad spend.

How does product price impact CPA benchmarks?

Higher-priced products typically have a higher CPA because people take longer to convert. That's not necessarily a problem if your margin can support it. You should measure CPA in context with AOV and LTV.

Why are my purchase costs going up despite stable ROAS?

Your AOV may be increasing, which helps maintain ROAS even if CPA rises. You could also be facing higher CPMs, lower conversion rates, or creative fatigue.

Should I use manual bidding to control CPA more effectively?

Manual bidding can help if you're struggling to stay within target CPA. It's best used by experienced advertisers who can monitor performance and adjust regularly. It gives more control, but also requires more effort.

How do I scale spend without letting CPA skyrocket?

Increase budget gradually, rotate creative often, and avoid overlapping audiences. Scaling too quickly can lead to audience saturation and rising CPAs.