Ad cost benchmarks by channel
Bottom line: treat the numbers below as rough, order-of-magnitude ranges for CPC, CPM, and conversion rate by channel. They are a sanity check, your niche, country, season, and audience matter far more than any industry average.
Benchmarks are useful for one thing: a gut check on whether your costs are in a normal zone. They cannot tell you if a campaign is profitable, only your own break-even math can do that. Use these to spot something wildly off, then judge performance against your own ceilings.
Typical ranges by channel
| Channel | Typical CPC | Typical CPM | Typical conv. rate |
| Google Search | $1–$4 ($20+ in finance/legal) | — | 3–5% |
| Google Display | $0.10–$1 | $1–$5 | under 1% |
| Meta (FB / IG) | $0.50–$2 | $5–$12 | 1–3% |
| TikTok | $0.50–$1.50 | $5–$10 | 1–2% |
| $3–$8+ | $30–$60 | 1–3% (B2B lead) | |
| Microsoft / Bing | $1–$2 | — | 2–4% |
Ranges are illustrative approximations compiled from widely reported industry figures, not guarantees. Always validate against your own account data.
How to actually use benchmarks
- Compare to your break-even, not the average. A "normal" CPC still loses money if it is above your break-even CPC.
- Use them to spot anomalies. A CPC 5× the typical range usually means a targeting or relevance problem.
- Re-check seasonally. Q4 and category spikes push costs well above these ranges.
Turn a benchmark into a decision
Once you know roughly what a click costs, the useful question is whether you can afford it. Find your ceiling with the break-even CPC calculator, then see what is a good CPC and what is a good ROAS to frame the targets.
FAQ
What is the average CPC across ad platforms?
Roughly: Google Search $1–$4, Meta $0.50–$2, TikTok $0.50–$1.50, LinkedIn $3–$8+. Competitive niches run much higher.
What is a typical conversion rate by channel?
Search often 3–5%, Meta 1–3%, display under 1%, all highly dependent on offer and intent.