Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
January 2025 - January 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
New Zealand’s Facebook Ads CPC story over the past 13 months reads as “low-cost with midsummer heat.” Across all industries, CPCs in New Zealand generally sat below the global benchmark, then surged sharply mid-year before settling back into softer levels by Q4. The market was notably choppier than the global trend, with outsized spikes and a swift late-summer correction. 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 New Zealand compared to the global benchmark.
From December 2024 to December 2025, New Zealand’s CPC averaged about $0.84 versus a global average of roughly $1.13, putting the market around 26% below global costs overall. The period opened at $0.80 in December 2024 and closed at $0.62 in December 2025, a 22% decline end to end.
The lows came early: February marked the trough at $0.33, followed by a gradual lift into Q2. Momentum accelerated into July ($1.41) and August, which set the high at $1.58. That peak unwound quickly in September, when CPCs reset to $0.66 and remained subdued through year-end (October $0.79, November $0.62, December $0.62).
Volatility was the standout feature. New Zealand’s month-to-month movement averaged $0.27, nearly four times the global average swing of $0.07. The range underscored this: a wide $1.25 spread between the $0.33 low and $1.58 high, compared with a tighter $0.25 range globally.
The pattern tracked a familiar rhythm—soft Q1, a climb through Q2, a strong Q3 peak, and a cooler Q4—yet with amplified moves:
Through most months, New Zealand ran below market. January sat 49% under the global median; February widened to 71% below. The gap narrowed in May (6% below) before flipping positive in June (+12% above), strengthening in July (+32%) and August (+43%). The divergence widened again in November, when global CPCs peaked at $1.30 while New Zealand held at $0.62 (−52%). By December, New Zealand ended 41% under the global benchmark ($0.62 vs. $1.05).
Overall, the global trend was steady and compact (+/− modest increments, with a November spike), while New Zealand’s CPC trends were more dramatic—largely below average, punctuated by a mid-year surge, then a cooling phase.
Understanding Facebook Ads cost-per-click benchmarks for all industries in New Zealand reveals a market that is typically below global CPC levels but markedly more volatile, with notable midsummer spikes. These CPC trends provide a clear frame for country-specific ad costs and how New Zealand’s industry ad performance compares 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. Different industries see varying ad costs due to market competition, user demographics, and conversion value. For campaigns targeting New Zealand, 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.
Improve your Facebook ad performance
• Instant performance insights – See which ads, audiences, and creatives drive results.
• Data-driven creative decisions – Spot patterns to improve ROAS.
• Effortless reporting – No spreadsheets, just clear insights.
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.
This dataset updates frequently as new ad data flows in. It will only get bigger and better.
Late November–early December (Black Friday/Cyber Monday), Christmas season (Boxing Day sales), Mid‑year promotions (Matariki in June), Back-to-school (late January/early February)
CPM and CPC might rise around Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day as public events increase media consumption. Matariki is new public holiday with growing awareness—advertising may see elevated competition. Late November–December Black Friday/Cyber Monday could drive ad costs significantly. Regional anniversary holidays may cause local inventory shifts.
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
See how much it costs to get users to install an app