Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
January 2025 - January 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Across all industries in the United Arab Emirates, Facebook Ads CPC trends told a distinctly more expensive and more turbulent story than the global benchmark. Costs started unusually low in January 2025, surged into early Q4 with a dramatic October peak, then reset sharply by December and stabilized into January 2026. Volatility was materially higher than the worldwide pattern, with several standout months that widened the UAE–global gap.
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 the United Arab Emirates compared to the global benchmark.
For the UAE, median CPC opened at 0.77 in January 2025 and closed at 1.05 in January 2026, a 36% lift over the 13-month window. The average CPC for the period landed at 1.30, ranging from a low of 0.77 (January 2025) to a high of 1.99 (October 2025). Key movements punctuated the year: a steep build from August to September (+0.60) and the largest single-month drop from November to December (−0.69). Average month-to-month volatility measured 0.21 points, signaling brisker swings than steady markets.
By comparison, the global benchmark averaged 1.11, with a narrower range (0.85 to 1.32) and milder monthly changes (average volatility of 0.07). The worldwide series slid 25% from January 2025 to January 2026, cooling into year-end after a modest November lift.
The UAE’s CPC rhythm tracked a classic demand build, but with outsized amplitude. Q1 was soft, with January setting the floor. Costs climbed through spring, steadied in early summer, then accelerated into late Q3 and early Q4. September and October delivered the year’s apex, followed by a clear reset in December and a near-flat January 2026. Globally, seasonality was more muted: a relatively stable mid-year band around 1.10, a November uplift, then a drop through December and into January.
In the UAE specifically, Q4 averaged 1.60 versus 1.16 globally—about 37% higher—showing how country-specific ad costs diverged during peak competition months. The October spike stood out as the decisive inflection point before the year-end cooldown.
Relative to Facebook Ads benchmarks worldwide, the UAE sat below market early (31% under in January; 1–2% under in February–March), then moved above market from April onward, outperforming in 10 of 13 months. The gap was widest in October, when UAE CPCs were 77% above global levels, and narrowest in December at just 0.5% higher. While the global trend eased overall (−25%), the UAE’s trajectory was choppier and net higher (+36%), with roughly triple the monthly volatility.
In short, CPC trends for all industries in the United Arab Emirates were higher and more volatile than global norms, marked by a pronounced Q4 surge and a sharp December reset. Understanding Facebook Ads CPC benchmarks for all industries in the United Arab Emirates helps teams contextualize country-specific ad costs against global industry ad performance.
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 United Arab Emirates, 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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Ramadan + Eid (Mar–Apr), End of November–December (UAE National Day, Christmas, New Year), Dubai Shopping Festival (mid-Dec through Jan)
CPMs may rise sharply during Ramadan and Eid, especially in e‑commerce, gifting, F&B, and beauty sectors. UAE National Day campaigns could lead to high local bidding activity in travel, banking, and luxury retail. Dubai Shopping Festival drives elevated CPMs from mid-December to mid-January. Islamic holidays shift each year, affecting year-over-year comparisons.
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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