Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
November 2024 - November 2025
Detailed observation of presented data
Marketplaces CPC in Canada ran well below the global benchmark for most of the year, but with far sharper swings. Costs opened high in late 2024, plunged to a March low, then rebuilt through summer before a sharp October surge that briefly matched and even edged above global levels. The story is one of lower cost levels but higher volatility, with standout troughs and a late-year rebound.
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 in Canada compared to the global benchmark.
Across the period, Marketplaces CPC in Canada averaged 0.81, versus a 1.14 global average. The series ranged from a low of 0.30 in March to a high of 1.15 in November, finishing at 1.14 in October—almost exactly where it began.
Month by month, the path was uneven:
Volatility was pronounced: the average monthly move was 0.24 points in Canada, versus just 0.05 globally—over five times more turbulent. The largest single-month shifts were February to March (−0.56) and April to May (+0.50), underscoring rapid swings in cost dynamics.
Seasonally, the series reflected a familiar rhythm with exaggerated amplitude. Late Q4 saw elevated costs into November and a softer December. Q1 trended downward, culminating in March’s pronounced trough (0.30). Q2 marked a recovery phase—an April bounce followed by a May lift—before mid-year stabilized at a lower-cost plateau through June–September. October saw a sharp pre-holiday climb back toward peak territory, consistent with typical fourth-quarter competition in the auctions.
Averaged by quarter, the pattern is clear:
Against Facebook Ads benchmarks globally, Canada’s Marketplaces CPC remained lower but choppier. On average, Canada was about 30% below the global level. The global trend was steady and tight (+/− small increments), while Canada’s path saw pronounced dips and rebounds. Monthly gaps were typically 20–36% below the market; the widest gap appeared in March (−73% vs. global), while January narrowed to −12%. In October, Canada briefly moved above market, landing 9% higher than the global CPC.
In sum, CPC trends for Marketplaces in Canada tracked below the global benchmark but with far greater volatility—marked by a March low and an October resurgence. Understanding Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost-per-click in Marketplaces across Canada helps teams interpret country-specific ad costs and compare industry ad performance to global CPC analysis and CTR performance narratives.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Cost Per Click (CPC) is the amount advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their Facebook ad. In the Marketplaces industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. 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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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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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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