Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
November 2024 - November 2025
Detailed observation of presented data
Recreation and Travel advertisers in India spent 2025 moving through exceptionally low cost-per-click territory, with CPCs sitting in the low cents and even sub-cent range for much of the year. Against a steady global benchmark that hovered near $1.10, India’s country-specific ad costs were structurally lower and trended downward, punctuated by a dramatic May trough and a quiet, low-volatility summer. The picture is one of an ultra-cheap market that kept getting cheaper as the year progressed.
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 Recreation and Travel in India compared to the global benchmark.
CPC in India opened 2025 at $0.104 in January and slid to $0.0057 by October, a 95% decline end to end. The annual average across January–October landed at $0.026, with a clear high in January and a striking low in May at $0.0008. After that May nadir, CPCs partially recovered in June ($0.0159) but continued easing through the rest of the year: July ($0.0118), August ($0.0095), September ($0.0086), and October ($0.0057). Month-to-month absolute volatility averaged $0.0146, modest in dollar terms but large relative to the market’s tiny baseline level.
Momentum highlights:
The first quarter set the year’s ceiling, averaging $0.059 across January–March. A softer spring culminated in May’s trough, after which the market settled into a subdued rhythm. July through September delivered the most stable stretch, with CPCs hovering near one cent and little directional pressure. October marked another dip, consistent with rising competition elsewhere but in India remaining at micro-cost levels.
Globally, CPCs showed familiar seasonal contours. The global median stayed tightly clustered around $1.10, with a gentle mid-year softening (June at $1.07 and September at $1.04) and a slight October rebound to $1.05. November historically prices up; the global benchmark reflects that with $1.21 in November 2025 and $1.46 in November 2024.
The gap between India and the global Facebook Ads benchmarks was wide throughout. From January–October, global CPCs averaged about $1.10, while India averaged roughly $0.026—about 98% below global levels, or roughly one-forty-third the price. The narrowest gap appeared in January (India at $0.104 versus $1.135 globally, ~91% lower). By late summer and into October, the spread widened to 99%+ below global CPCs, with October ($0.0057 vs. $1.051) down about 99.5% and May ($0.0008 vs. $1.133) near 99.9% below.
Trend shape also diverged. The global trajectory eased slightly (−7% from January to October) with average monthly absolute moves of $0.019. India’s month-to-month moves averaged a smaller $0.015 in dollars, but relative to its tiny base, swings were far more pronounced. Put simply: India was cheaper and more percentage-volatile, while the global market was higher priced and steadier.
Understanding Facebook Ads CPC benchmarks for the Recreation and Travel industry in India shows a market defined by ultra-low, downward-trending CPCs that diverge sharply from global CPC trends. For teams tracking CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance, these India-specific benchmarks help frame country-specific ad costs against a consistent global backdrop for Recreation and Travel.
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 Recreation and Travel industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. 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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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.
Discover detailed cost benchmarks for different Facebook advertising metrics:
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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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