Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
November 2024 - November 2025
Detailed observation of presented data
Retail CPCs in Canada ran consistently below the global benchmark, but with sharper swings. Costs peaked into late 2024, slid through spring and summer, and hit a clear trough in September before a modest Q4 lift. The result is a market that’s more affordable than the global average, yet notably more volatile month to month. 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 Retail in Canada compared to the global benchmark.
Across November 2024 to October 2025, Facebook Ads CPC for Retail in Canada averaged $0.80, versus a $1.14 global median over the same period. The year opened high at $1.24 in November 2024, eased to $0.96 in December, then briefly returned near parity with global levels in January 2025 at $1.13. From there, costs retrenched: $0.76 in February and $0.65 in March. The lowest point arrived in September at $0.57, before a small October rebound to $0.66. Start to finish, CPC declined 47% (from $1.24 in November 2024 to $0.66 in October 2025).
Volatility was the defining feature. Canadian Retail CPC moved an average of $0.13 per month, almost three times the global benchmark’s $0.05. The sharpest monthly drop came in January to February (−$0.37), following an early swing from December to January (+$0.17). The September-to-October lift (+$0.10, +17%) marked the first sustained uptick after a summer of softening.
Highs, lows, and spread underscore the amplitude: Canada’s range spanned from $1.24 (November 2024) down to $0.57 (September 2025), a spread of $0.67—roughly 84% of its own average—whereas the global range over the same months was narrower, from $1.46 to $1.04, a $0.43 spread (37% of its average).
Seasonality showed a familiar arc for country-specific ad costs. Late Q4 2024 was the most expensive point, with a November peak and a December cooldown. Q1 2025 was mixed—an early January reset higher, then a slide through February and March. Q2 settled into a lower, steadier band ($0.70–$0.81), suggesting a midyear equilibrium. Q3 softened again, culminating in a September trough, before CPCs edged up in October, a rhythm consistent with renewed Q4 competition.
Quarterly medians reinforce that cadence: Canada averaged roughly $0.85 in Q1, $0.75 in Q2, and $0.65 in Q3, with an early Q4 read at $0.66.
Relative to Facebook Ads benchmarks globally, Canada’s Retail CPCs were consistently below market—about 30% lower on average across the period ($0.80 vs. $1.14). The gap narrowed to near parity in January 2025 (just 1% below the global median), then widened through the spring and summer. The widest divergence appeared in September, when Canada’s CPC trailed the global figure by 46% ($0.57 vs. $1.04). In most other months, Canada ran 24–38% below global levels.
Trend-wise, the global series decreased steadily (−28% from November 2024 to October 2025), while Canada’s trajectory fell faster and with more pronounced month-to-month swings (−47%). The global high and low—$1.46 in November 2024 and $1.04 in September 2025—reinforce the smoother pattern compared to Canada’s choppier path.
These results outline clear CPC trends: Facebook Ads cost-per-click for Retail in Canada remained below the global benchmark, with deeper seasonal troughs and a sharper late-year rebound. Understanding Facebook Ads benchmarks for Retail CPC in Canada helps marketers gauge country-specific ad costs and compare industry ad performance to 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. In the Retail 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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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.
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