Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
January 2025 - January 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
India’s Facebook Ads cost-per-click ran dramatically below the global benchmark in 2025, but the year still told a clear, seasonal story: an early-year cool-down, a summer lift that peaked in August, and a decisive slide into year-end lows. Median CPC in India averaged $0.17 for all industries, roughly one-seventh of global pricing, with a nearly 2.5x spread between the highest and lowest months. August stood out as the local high-water mark, while November–December set the floor.
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 India compared to the global benchmark.
India opened the year at $0.235 in January and closed at $0.11 in December, a 53% decline from start to finish. The year’s median CPC averaged $0.171, spanning a high of $0.270 in August and a low of $0.11 in December. The first significant downswing came from February to March (−$0.081), followed by a mid-year build: May ($0.171), June ($0.200), and July ($0.194), culminating in August’s peak. That peak was short-lived—September unwound much of the gain (−$0.088), and Q4 slid steadily to the year’s trough.
Volatility in India averaged an absolute month-to-month move of $0.039, about 23% of the mean CPC—punctuated by two sharp inflection points: a surge from July to August (+$0.076) and a pullback from August to September (−$0.088). For context, global CPC volatility averaged $0.059 in absolute terms, but given the higher price level, global swings were proportionally smaller.
The cadence was recognizably seasonal. After a relatively higher January–February, India softened into March–April ($0.125–$0.133). From late spring through midsummer, CPCs firmed—May through August showed a steady climb, topping out in August at $0.270. The post-peak adjustment was abrupt in September, then transitioned into a subdued Q4: $0.115 in October and roughly $0.11 in both November and December. Averaged by quarter, Q1 sat near $0.188 versus Q4 near $0.112, reflecting a clear late-year cool-down in India’s country-specific ad costs.
Globally, median CPCs were steadier through most of the year—hovering around $1.10–$1.15—before a pronounced November spike and a December reset. That pattern contrasts with India’s Q4 softness, where costs slipped instead of spiking.
Against the global Facebook Ads benchmarks, India’s all-industry CPC averaged $0.171 vs. $1.133 globally—about 85% lower, or roughly 15% of global levels. The gap fluctuated through the year: it was narrowest in August (India was 76% below the global median) and widest in November (92% below). Throughout every month, India remained below market, even during its August high.
Trendlines diverged too. The global series ended the year modestly lower than January (−6%), with a notable November peak ($1.317) before December reset to the annual low ($1.057). India, by contrast, moved more dramatically at a lower cost base, falling from $0.235 in January to $0.11 in December (−53%). In proportional terms, India’s CPC trends were choppier, while the global curve was steadier outside of Q4’s holiday pressure.
In summary, Facebook Ads CPC trends for all industries in India in 2025 showed a summer lift and a Q4 trough, with costs averaging $0.17 and consistently undercutting the $1.13 global benchmark. Understanding Facebook Ads cost-per-click benchmarks, CPC trends, and country-specific ad costs for all industries in India helps teams contextualize industry ad performance against global patterns.
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 India, 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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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.
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October (Diwali), Late November (Black Friday/Cyber Monday), December (Christmas), July–August (Raksha Bandhan, Ganesh Chaturthi)
CPMs might spike significantly during Diwali, especially in electronics, apparel, jewellery, and gifts. Black Friday/Cyber Monday and December could drive elevated ad competition. State-specific festivals might see regional campaign spikes. Bank closures during holidays may push online shopping to cluster in end-of-week periods.
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.
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Cost per thousand impressions across different markets
Benchmark click-through rates for Facebook ads
Cost per lead across different markets
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