Compare CPC benchmarks by industry, region, and campaign type.
October 2025 - September 2026
Benchmark observations based on the selected data
The main story: cost-per-click for Media across All countries available ran consistently below the global benchmark for most of the 13-month window, then accelerated sharply in mid‑2026 to finish above the baseline. 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 Media in All countries available compared to the global benchmark.
Starting in July 2025, Media CPC (cost per click) was about $0.66 and closed in July 2026 at $1.27 — roughly a 91% lift from start to finish. Across the period the median CPC for Media averaged about $0.72, with a low of $0.53 in November 2025 and a peak of $1.27 in July 2026. By contrast, the global baseline averaged roughly $1.05 over the same months.
Month-to-month movement shows a relatively stable sub-$0.70 range through late 2025, a gradual rise into spring 2026, and two pronounced jumps: April 2026 (+50% from March) and June–July 2026 (June at $1.08, July at $1.27). The total swing from trough to peak was big — roughly +141% from November 2025’s $0.53 to July 2026’s $1.27. Volatility measured as average absolute monthly change was about $0.11 for Media CPC, slightly higher than the baseline’s $0.10.
A soft period runs through late Q4 2025, with the lowest median CPC in November at about $0.53 and a muted December near $0.53–$0.55. Early Q1 2026 shows incremental gains (January–March around $0.55–$0.61), then a sharp lift beginning in April. The spring-to-summer rhythm is pronounced: April’s jump breaks the earlier range, May dips a bit to $0.80, and June–July push to new highs above $1.00. The baseline displays its own dynamics — a November 2025 spike and a baseline dip into July 2026 that contrasts with Media’s late surge.
Across nearly all months (12 of 13), Media CPC trailed the global benchmark — on average about 31% below the baseline. The gap was widest in November 2025 when Media was roughly 59% below the global median (Media $0.53 vs baseline $1.29). At the narrowest point Media approached baseline levels in April–June 2026, and then inverted in July 2026 when Media CPC exceeded the baseline by roughly 65% (Media $1.27 vs baseline $0.77). Overall, Media’s trajectory was choppier but ended with stronger momentum relative to a baseline that trended lower across the same window.
Understanding COST_PER_CLICK benchmarks for the Media industry in All countries available — and how they compare to global CPC trends — clarifies shifting country-specific ad costs and broader Facebook Ads benchmarks, CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance context for industry ad performance.
Facebook advertising cost benchmarks
Cost Per Click (CPC) is the amount advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their Facebook ad. In the Media industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. Geographic targeting affects ad costs through regional competition and user engagement. Campaign objectives affect costs because Facebook optimizes delivery for different goals. The data shows median values across multiple campaigns. Results can vary with ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.
A small share of campaigns has extremely high CPC values. Those outliers can inflate an average. The median is the midpoint across campaigns, so it better represents a typical result.
The data shows industry median benchmarks. Costs can vary with targeting, creative quality, and campaign optimization.
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The dataset includes over $3B in Facebook ad spend from thousands of ad accounts that use Superads to analyze and improve campaigns. Every data point is anonymized and aggregated. It does not expose an individual advertiser.
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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).
CPC varies by region, industry, and campaign objective. Use the filters to compare benchmarks that match your campaign. The US is one of the more expensive markets.
Audience targeting, industry competition, ad relevance score, and creative performance affect CPC. Low engagement or relevance can increase CPC.
CPC can increase with more competition in your target audience, seasonal trends such as holidays, lower ad relevance scores, or algorithm changes. Check whether your audience is too narrow or your creative is showing fatigue.
Mobile CPCs often run lower than desktop CPCs because there is more mobile inventory. Segment performance by placement to see where clicks come from.
For most businesses, conversion optimization produces better ROI than CPC alone. CPC optimization can suit awareness campaigns or content promotion when clicks are the goal.
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 because of purchase intent and advertiser competition. Results also depend on the audience and creative.
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