Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
January 2025 - January 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Canada’s Facebook Ads CPC benchmark ran consistently below the global market, with cheaper clicks nearly every month and a gentle finish close to where it started. The year’s narrative features a spring lift into a July peak, a sharp early-fall dip, and a November surge that echoed global auction intensity before easing into December. Volatility was modest but a touch choppier than the worldwide trend, with a pronounced October-to-November whiplash.
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 Canada compared to the global benchmark.
Month by month, the rhythm was clear: a modest uptick into January ($0.88), a February dip to $0.77 (−13% vs. January), then a steady spring climb through April–June, culminating in July’s peak (+28% from February’s low). August reversed sharply (−16% vs. July), momentum softened into September and bottomed in October (−25% from the peak), before an outsized rebound in November to $0.97 (+31% vs. October). December cooled to $0.87 (−11% vs. November), returning near the annual average.
Volatility, measured as the average absolute month-over-month change, was $0.08 in Canada, slightly higher than the global benchmark’s $0.07.
Seasonality showed a familiar arc. Q1 was mixed with a February low, Q2 was the strongest quarter (April–June averaging roughly $0.89), and Q3 softened as auctions cooled from a July crest into September. Q4 was split: October was the trough, November spiked as competition intensified, and December eased as holiday pressure receded. The pattern aligns with typical platform dynamics where competition and budgets reshape country-specific ad costs around major retail moments.
Relative to global Facebook Ads benchmarks, Canada’s clicks were cheaper throughout. The Canadian average CPC ($0.86) sat about 24% below the $1.13 global average. On a monthly basis, the gap ranged from 8% below market at its narrowest (July) to 33% below at its widest (October, as well as December 2024 and February). Both markets shared the same late-year rhythm: a November high and a December low. However, while Canada finished roughly flat year over year (+1%), the global CPC trended down across the period (−18% from December to December). In range terms, Canada’s spread ($0.25) was similar to global’s ($0.25) but larger relative to its mean, underscoring slightly higher relative variability.
In sum, Facebook Ads CPC trends for all industries in Canada show below-market costs with a mid-year peak, an October trough, and a November spike that mirrors global auction pressure. These country-specific ad costs provide a clear benchmark to understand industry ad performance and compare CPC levels to the global pattern. Understanding Facebook Ads cost-per-click benchmarks for all industries in Canada helps contextualize CPC trends alongside broader CPM analysis and CTR performance benchmarks worldwide.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Cost Per Click (CPC) is the amount advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their Facebook ad. Different industries see varying ad costs due to market competition, user demographics, and conversion value. For campaigns targeting Canada, 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.
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.
Note: This data represents industry median values and benchmarks. Your actual costs may vary based on specific targeting, ad creative quality, and campaign optimization.
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Late November (Black Friday and Cyber Monday), December (holiday shopping, Boxing Day), Back-to-school (August-September), Mother's Day (May)
CPM might increase during Canada Day, Labour Day, and Thanksgiving. Black Friday and Cyber Monday see heightened e‑commerce bidding. December holiday period may spike ad costs. Back-to-school and Mother's Day drive retail competition. Provincial holidays might alter weekday inventory availability.
CPC (Cost Per Click) is what you pay each time someone clicks on your ad, on any Facebook Ads placement. It's calculated by dividing your total spend by the number of clicks received. Facebook Ads lists Clicks, Link Clicks and Outbound Clicks separately. The former is the sum of all types of clicks (including, for example, clicks to your profile page, to a link or to a comment).
The truth is that varies, so play with our tool to get some benchmarks that are relevant to you. CPC values are highly dependent on the region, industry and campaign objective. The US is one of the most expensive markets.
Several factors affect CPC: your audience targeting, competition in your industry, ad relevance score, and creative performance. If your ad isn't getting engagement or relevance is low, CPC tends to spike.
CPC spikes usually happen because of increased competition in your target audience, seasonal trends (like holidays), poor ad relevance scores, or algorithm changes. Check if your audience targeting has become too narrow or if your creative is showing fatigue.
Yes, there's a noticeable difference between platforms. Mobile CPCs often run lower than desktop. How many times do check Instagram on your phone and how often do you open it in your computer? There's simply much more mobile inventory. Tip: segment your performance data by placement to understand where your clicks are coming from. Spoiler: it's likely all mobile.
For most businesses, optimizing for conversions will deliver much better ROI than focusing purely on CPC. A low CPC is meaningless if those clicks don't convert. However, if you're running awareness campaigns or some kind content promotion, CPC optimization might potentially make sense, although most experts have switched to conversion optimization by now.
Your specific audience targeting, creative quality, bidding strategy, and account history all influence your CPC. Industry averages provide a reference point, but your historical performance is a more reliable benchmark for setting expectations and measuring improvement.
Instagram CPCs are generally slightly higher due to stronger purchase intent and higher competition among advertisers. But it depends on the audience and creative.
Discover detailed cost benchmarks for different Facebook advertising metrics:
Average cost per click benchmarks across industries
Cost per thousand impressions across different markets
Benchmark click-through rates for Facebook ads
Cost per lead across different markets
Average cost per purchase benchmarks across industries
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