CPM Benchmarks 2026: Platforms, Industries & Countries
Up-to-date CPM benchmarks across YouTube, Meta, TikTok, Google Ads, LinkedIn & more. By industry, country, niche, and Meta objective. May 2026 update with verified sources.
- Typical range
- $4.00–$18.00
- Premium range (if any)
- $20.00–$50.00
- Source
- lenostube.com
- Typical range
- $6.00–$18.00
- Premium range (if any)
- $20.00–$50.00
- Source
- wordstream.com
- Typical range
- $7.00–$14.00
- Premium range (if any)
- $14.00–$22.00
- Source
- wordstream.com
- Typical range
- $9.00–$13.00
- Premium range (if any)
- $13.00–$22.00
- Source
- webfx.com
- Typical range
- $3.00–$12.00
- Premium range (if any)
- $8.00–$15.00
- Source
- businessofapps.com
- Typical range
- $25.00–$60.00
- Premium range (if any)
- $60.00–$120.00
- Source
- wordstream.com
- Typical range
- $12.00–$22.00
- Premium range (if any)
- $20.00–$35.00
- Source
- businessofapps.com
| Platform | Typical range | Premium range (if any) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | $4.00–$18.00 | $20.00–$50.00 | lenostube.com |
| Facebook / Meta | $6.00–$18.00 | $20.00–$50.00 | wordstream.com |
| $7.00–$14.00 | $14.00–$22.00 | wordstream.com | |
| TikTok | $9.00–$13.00 | $13.00–$22.00 | webfx.com |
| Google Display | $3.00–$12.00 | $8.00–$15.00 | businessofapps.com |
| $25.00–$60.00 | $60.00–$120.00 | wordstream.com | |
| Mobile Ads | $12.00–$22.00 | $20.00–$35.00 | businessofapps.com |
How to read CPM benchmarks
Benchmarks are meant for orientation, not a pass/fail score.
What is a CPM benchmark?
A CPM benchmark is a reference range that describes what CPM often looks like for a platform or context. It is not a guarantee and it is not a promise for your campaign. Think of it like a speed-limit sign for sanity-checking: it tells you what is common, not what is optimal.
Industry benchmarks
The same platform can have very different CPM depending on what you sell, who you target, and how competitive the category is.
- CPM range
- $25.00–$80.00
- Why it varies
- High lifetime value plus aggressive auction competition keep CPM near the top of every ad system.
- CPM range
- $15.00–$50.00
- Why it varies
- High-value audiences (HNW investors, B2B finance) bid up CPM across YouTube, Display, and LinkedIn.
- CPM range
- $20.00–$60.00
- Why it varies
- B2B audiences are smaller and more expensive to target — LinkedIn skews this band higher.
- CPM range
- $12.00–$35.00
- Why it varies
- High ticket size justifies premium bids; CPM rises around new-listing seasons.
- CPM range
- $15.00–$40.00
- Why it varies
- New 2026 category — growing budgets push AI-tool advertisers toward premium tiers.
- CPM range
- $8.00–$25.00
- Why it varies
- Consumer tech sits below B2B but still above general retail.
- CPM range
- $10.00–$30.00
- Why it varies
- Restricted ad categories and high LTV keep CPM elevated; rules vary by sub-vertical.
- CPM range
- $4.00–$12.00
- Why it varies
- Lower direct CPM, but degree/certification advertisers lift it during enrollment seasons.
- CPM range
- $5.00–$15.00
- Why it varies
- Conversion-driven; CPM spikes during peak retail windows (BFCM, holidays).
- CPM range
- $10.00–$150.00
- Why it varies
- Wide range — niche B2B newsletters can clear $100+ CPM, broad consumer ones sit near $10.
| Industry | CPM range | Why it varies |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance | $25.00–$80.00 | High lifetime value plus aggressive auction competition keep CPM near the top of every ad system. |
| Finance | $15.00–$50.00 | High-value audiences (HNW investors, B2B finance) bid up CPM across YouTube, Display, and LinkedIn. |
| SaaS / B2B | $20.00–$60.00 | B2B audiences are smaller and more expensive to target — LinkedIn skews this band higher. |
| Real Estate | $12.00–$35.00 | High ticket size justifies premium bids; CPM rises around new-listing seasons. |
| AI / SaaS Tools | $15.00–$40.00 | New 2026 category — growing budgets push AI-tool advertisers toward premium tiers. |
| Tech (B2C) | $8.00–$25.00 | Consumer tech sits below B2B but still above general retail. |
| Healthcare | $10.00–$30.00 | Restricted ad categories and high LTV keep CPM elevated; rules vary by sub-vertical. |
| Education | $4.00–$12.00 | Lower direct CPM, but degree/certification advertisers lift it during enrollment seasons. |
| E-commerce | $5.00–$15.00 | Conversion-driven; CPM spikes during peak retail windows (BFCM, holidays). |
| Newsletter | $10.00–$150.00 | Wide range — niche B2B newsletters can clear $100+ CPM, broad consumer ones sit near $10. |
Region multipliers
Geography is one of the biggest single drivers of CPM.
- Multiplier
- 1.0x
- Note
- Tier-1 baseline. Highest sustained CPM market globally.
- Multiplier
- 1.0–1.1x
- Note
- On par with US; small market lifts auction pressure on premium audiences.
- Multiplier
- 0.9–1.0x
- Note
- Slightly under US baseline; close enough to plan with the same defaults.
- Multiplier
- 0.6–0.8x
- Note
- Western EU leader; Brexit-era currency moves still affect Q-over-Q comparisons.
- Multiplier
- 0.5–0.7x
- Note
- Mature markets but lower advertiser bids than UK, especially in DE display.
- Multiplier
- 0.3–0.5x
- Note
- Lower purchasing power and looser auction competition.
- Multiplier
- 0.2–0.4x
- Note
- Mid-range emerging markets; Brazil sits at top of this band.
- Multiplier
- 0.2–0.4x
- Note
- Singapore is the outlier on the high end; ID/PH/VN sit at the low end.
- Multiplier
- 0.1–0.2x
- Note
- Largest YouTube market by views, but advertiser bids stay low — content niche matters more than country.
- Multiplier
- 0.1–0.3x
- Note
- GCC countries (UAE, Saudi) sit higher; sub-Saharan Africa lowest globally.
| Region | Multiplier | Note |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 1.0x | Tier-1 baseline. Highest sustained CPM market globally. |
| Australia | 1.0–1.1x | On par with US; small market lifts auction pressure on premium audiences. |
| Canada | 0.9–1.0x | Slightly under US baseline; close enough to plan with the same defaults. |
| United Kingdom | 0.6–0.8x | Western EU leader; Brexit-era currency moves still affect Q-over-Q comparisons. |
| Western Europe (DE / FR / NL) | 0.5–0.7x | Mature markets but lower advertiser bids than UK, especially in DE display. |
| Eastern Europe | 0.3–0.5x | Lower purchasing power and looser auction competition. |
| Latin America | 0.2–0.4x | Mid-range emerging markets; Brazil sits at top of this band. |
| Southeast Asia | 0.2–0.4x | Singapore is the outlier on the high end; ID/PH/VN sit at the low end. |
| India | 0.1–0.2x | Largest YouTube market by views, but advertiser bids stay low — content niche matters more than country. |
| Africa & Middle East | 0.1–0.3x | GCC countries (UAE, Saudi) sit higher; sub-Saharan Africa lowest globally. |
YouTube CPM by niche × country
YouTube CPM is dominated by two factors: your content niche and your audience country. The grid below shows monthly creator earnings (USD) for 100,000 monthly views across 11 niches × 4 highlight countries. Multiply by 10 for 1M views; divide by 100 for 1K views — the relationship is linear.
| Niche (Worldwide RPM) | United States | United Kingdom | Worldwide (default) | India |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Finance / Investing RPM $10.50 | $4,536.00 | $2,992.50 | $1,050.00 | $252.00 |
Tech / Software RPM $5.00 | $2,160.00 | $1,425.00 | $500.00 | $120.00 |
Education RPM $4.80 | $2,073.60 | $1,368.00 | $480.00 | $115.20 |
Health & Wellness RPM $3.70 | $1,598.40 | $1,054.50 | $370.00 | $88.80 |
Beauty / Fashion RPM $3.20 | $1,382.40 | $912.00 | $320.00 | $76.80 |
General (default) RPM $2.50 | $1,080.00 | $712.50 | $250.00 | $60.00 |
News RPM $2.30 | $993.60 | $655.50 | $230.00 | $55.20 |
Gaming RPM $2.10 | $907.20 | $598.50 | $210.00 | $50.40 |
Lifestyle / Vlog RPM $1.30 | $561.60 | $370.50 | $130.00 | $31.20 |
Kids (COPPA) RPM $1.10 | $475.20 | $313.50 | $110.00 | $26.40 |
Music RPM $0.70 | $302.40 | $199.50 | $70.00 | $16.80 |
These numbers are RPM-based (creator side). Multiply by ~1.8× to estimate the equivalent advertiser-side CPM. Numbers are derived from the YouTube Money Calculator's defaults — keep both pages in sync.
Facebook / Meta CPM by campaign objective
Facebook and Instagram CPM moves a lot with campaign objective — not just industry or country. The cheapest objective (Reach / Awareness) costs roughly 4× less than the most expensive (Conversions / Purchase). The reason: Meta's auction prices in the system's confidence that it can hit your goal.
| Objective | Typical CPM | Why this band |
|---|---|---|
| Reach / Awareness | $5.00–$15.00 | Cheapest objective — buys raw inventory without conversion-prediction overhead. |
| Traffic | $5.00–$15.00 | Similar to awareness pricing; CPM dips when CTR is high. |
| Engagement | $6.00–$18.00 | Slight premium over reach because the system selects engagement-prone users. |
| Lead Generation | $20.00–$45.00 | Common high band — Meta optimizes for users likely to fill a form. |
| Conversions / Purchase | $25.00–$50.00 | Top of the standard range — system prices up audiences with purchase intent. |
Overall industry average for Meta (Facebook + Instagram) hovers around $6.59 CPM (Gupta Media 2025-10), with most accounts landing in $10–$18 (Bestever 2025-08). Anything north of $50 CPM usually signals a small audience, low CTR, or weak conversion signals — the system pays more to find your buyer.
- Audience size below 500K — the auction has fewer alternatives.
- CTR below 1% on Awareness or below 0.5% on Conversion campaigns.
- Lookalike or interest stack that's already saturated by other advertisers.
- Conversion event firing too rarely (<10 events / week) for the system to optimize.
- Heavy frequency caps that further constrain delivery options.
Influencer marketing CPM by tier
Influencer CPM looks higher than ad CPM because it bundles three things together: paid reach, creator endorsement, and platform algorithm boost from being on a trusted account. Cross-platform average CPM in 2024 was $4.63 (Influence Marketing Hub) — well below most paid-ad CPM, but with very different qualitative value.
| Tier | Followers | CPM range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nano | 1K – 10K | $3.00–$8.00 | High engagement (4%+) but low absolute reach. Best for hyper-local or niche. |
| Micro | 10K – 100K | $5.00–$15.00 | Sweet spot for cost-per-engagement. 7–20% engagement on Instagram, lower on TikTok. |
| Mid-tier | 100K – 500K | $10.00–$15.00 | Balances reach and engagement. Common for branded content campaigns. |
| Macro | 500K – 1M | $15.00–$20.00 | Big reach, but engagement often drops below 2%. Often used for product launches. |
| Mega / Celebrity | 1M+ | $20.00–$60.00 | Premium pricing on top of brand-trust signal. Engagement around 1.2%. |
Why influencer CPM ≠ ad CPM: influencer reach comes with creator-trust signal, native creative, and platform algorithm preference for non-paid posts. So a $20 CPM mega creator can outperform a $10 CPM Meta campaign on brand lift, even at 2× the price.
Is my CPM good? — A 4-step framework
Skip the generic question and run this checklist instead. It's the same flow we use when an advertiser asks 'is $X CPM normal?'.
Identify your platform, industry, and audience country. Without all three, no benchmark applies.
Compare to the platform typical range above. If you're 2× higher, your audience is premium; if you're 50% lower, your audience is broad.
Adjust for industry: Insurance / SaaS / Finance run 2–3× higher than the platform median. Entertainment / Gaming run 50% below.
Compare against your own historical CPM for the same objective and creative. Your past CPM is a much stronger signal than any external benchmark.
If you are still 2× outside expected after running through the four steps, the lever to test first is creative quality (CTR drives CPM more than people realize), then audience size, then objective.
How to use benchmarks (simple steps)
Methodology and caveats
These ranges are compiled from multiple industry sources (Lenos 2026, Mediacube 2026, WordStream 2025, Affectgroup 2025-05, Gupta Media 2025-10, PageOneFormula 2025-05, Influencer Marketing Hub 2026). Each row in the platform / industry / objective tables links to a source domain so you can review the original context. The goal is transparency: you should be able to audit where a number came from.
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Frequently Asked Questions
A 'good' CPM depends on platform, country, industry, and audience. Start with the platform range, then adjust using the industry and region sections. As a sanity check: $5–$15 CPM is normal for most B2C ad spend; $20–$50 signals premium audiences (Insurance, Finance, B2B); $50+ signals niche LinkedIn or restricted ad categories.
Facebook CPM averages around $6–$18 across most consumer industries (WordStream 2025). It rises sharply with conversion-side objectives (Lead Gen $20–$45, Conversions $25–$50) and falls for awareness ($5–$15). Anything above $50 usually means small audience, weak CTR, or rare conversion signals.
Cross-platform Meta CPM hovers near $6.59 industry-wide (Gupta Media 2025-10), with most accounts landing $10–$18 (Bestever). Instagram skews 10–20% higher than Facebook within the same campaign because of placement preferences and slightly higher engagement signals.
Cross-platform 2024 average was $4.63 CPM — much lower than paid ads, but the comparison is misleading. Influencer CPM bundles paid reach + creator endorsement + algorithm preference. For tier breakdown: Nano $3–$8, Micro $5–$15, Macro $15–$20, Mega $20+.
$5 CPM is below average across major platforms — usually a sign of broad audience, awareness objective, or non-Tier-1 geography. It's good if outcomes (CTR, CPA) hold; it's bad if outcomes drop too because you're likely buying low-attention inventory.
$15 CPM is the median for most consumer Meta and YouTube campaigns in Tier-1 markets. It's good for B2C; it's high for awareness-only campaigns; it's low for B2B / SaaS / Finance. Always check against your industry row, not just the platform median.
$20 CPM signals premium quality — common for B2B, lead-gen, finance, and YouTube finance creators. It's good if conversion outcomes track; it's a yellow flag if it climbed there without an audience or creative change (auction pressure).
1 CPM means the cost of 1,000 ad impressions. So a $10 CPM means $10 per 1,000 impressions, or $0.01 per impression. To estimate total cost: (impressions ÷ 1,000) × CPM.
YouTube CPM in India runs $1–$5 typical (Lenos 2026), with creator-side RPM of $0.50–$1.50. India's audience is huge but advertiser bids stay low — your niche matters more than the country. A US-targeting Finance channel based in India earns close to US RPM, not India RPM.
Advertiser purchasing power. US advertisers spend more per impression because their customers spend more, so they outbid Indian advertisers for the same audience attention. Lenos 2026 data: US CPM ≈ $32.75 vs India CPM ≈ $1.80 — about an 18× gap on the General-niche baseline.
'Average' CPM is the typical band an advertiser sees on a normal day. 'Premium' CPM reflects the upper tail — high-value audiences (HNW Finance, B2B SaaS), restricted slots (newsletters), or very small targeted segments. The premium band is real but narrow — most campaigns never reach it.
Low CPM often means cheaper inventory, but cheap doesn't always mean effective. If low CPM comes with low CTR or low conversion rate, you may be buying impressions that don't create attention or intent. Always evaluate CPM together with CTR and CPA before you conclude that a low CPM is 'good'.
Every quarter (≤ 90 days). Page footer shows last update date. We replace stale rows with newer data from the same source category, not just the same source — if Lenos stops updating, we shift to Mediacube or OutlierKit and disclose the swap in the methodology section.
No. Benchmarks are not goals. The best CPM for your campaign depends on the value of the audience and the outcome you need. If you optimize only to hit an average CPM, you can sacrifice quality. Use benchmarks to understand the landscape, then optimize to your business KPI (CPA, ROAS, lift) while watching CPM as the cost context.