Meta Ads Benchmarks: UK vs US Accounts. CPM, CPC, CPA and ROAS by Billing Currency (2026)
UK brands billed in GBP paid a median CPM of £13.61 ($18.08), link CPC of £0.83 ($1.10) and CPA of £42.68 ($56.72) over the 12 months to 28 October 2026 (12 brands for CPM and CPC, 13 for CPA). USD-billed accounts paid $27.58 per thousand against $18.26 for non-USD accounts (41 and 19 brands, 8 January to 7 September 2026) and $63.00 per purchase against $56.61 (58 and 24 brands, 12 months). Source: MHI Meta Benchmarks, DTC, October 2026 edition, read from MHI Media's warehouse of client Meta ad accounts on 29 October 2026, data settled to 28 October 2026.
Every figure here is a median across the Meta ad accounts of 82 DTC brands over the 12 months to 28 October 2026, and 79 brands over the 90 days to the same date, read from MHI Media's warehouse of client ad accounts on 29 October 2026 with data settled to 28 October 2026. Facebook and Instagram only. A brand is one client with all of its Meta ad accounts added together, counted in a window when it spent at least £3,000 there with at least 30 purchases. The median is the middle brand; the interquartile range (IQR) is the 25th to 75th percentile. The warehouse holds every account in GBP at a fixed rate table; tables show USD at £1 = $1.3289 (multiply by 0.7525 for GBP). Inclusion and metric rules follow the methodology on the benchmarks hub, whose windows end on 21 October 2026.
A brand's group is the billing currency of the ad account carrying most of its 12-month spend, a proxy for the market it sells into (USD accounts are mostly US brands; GBP accounts are UK brands). Conversion is at one fixed rate, so the gaps below are market mix, with no exchange-rate movement. 82% of 12-month spend sits in USD-billed accounts (EUR 7%, GBP 4%, CAD 4%, AUD 3%), so the hub's all-brands medians are US-weighted; by brand count it is 58 USD-billed against 24 in other currencies, 13 of them GBP. EUR, CAD and AUD fall under the 8-brand bar and are not reported; readers there have the non-USD rows plus the Canada guide and the Australia guide. CPA, ROAS (Meta-attributed first-purchase revenue over spend), spend and purchases run to 28 October 2026. CTR, CPM, CPC and conversion rate come from an impressions archive covering 8 January to 7 September 2026 only, and a brand gets them only when the archive matches half of its spend with 100,000 impressions and 500 link clicks. Frequency (to 3 August 2026) and placement (8 June to 13 July 2026) are not split by currency. The dataset does not see blended or lifetime revenue, profit, repeat orders or other channels.
To see where you sit, enter your vertical, CPA and ROAS in the Meta ads benchmark checker. To find your own floor, use the break-even ROAS calculator.
USD-billed vs other currencies over 12 months: CPM, CPC, CPA and ROAS
Over the 12 months to 28 October 2026, USD-billed accounts paid a median CPM of $27.58 against $18.26 for accounts billed in other currencies (41 and 19 brands, 8 January to 7 September 2026), and a median CPA of $63.00 against $56.61 (58 and 24 brands).
| Metric | USD-billed: median (IQR) | n | Not USD-billed: median (IQR) | n |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CTR (link) | 1.90% (1.17% to 2.62%) | 41 | 1.73% (1.36% to 2.04%) | 19 |
| CPM | $27.58 ($18.02 to $49.48) | 41 | $18.26 ($12.42 to $23.14) | 19 |
| CPC (link) | $1.59 ($1.17 to $2.15) | 41 | $1.06 ($0.88 to $1.54) | 19 |
| Conversion rate (purchases / link clicks) | 2.59% (1.55% to 3.37%) | 41 | 2.21% (1.27% to 2.89%) | 19 |
| CPA | $63.00 ($41.52 to $105.71) | 58 | $56.61 ($42.10 to $92.51) | 24 |
| ROAS (first-purchase) | 1.51 (0.92 to 2.03) | 58 | 1.28 (0.99 to 2.00) | 24 |
| AOV (purchase value / purchases) | $78.89 ($57.67 to $123.28) | 58 | $67.58 ($60.43 to $115.07) | 24 |
Source: MHI Meta Benchmarks, DTC, October 2026 edition (benchmark cuts, 29 October 2026).
The auction gap is the story: $27.58 a thousand and $1.59 a click in USD accounts against $18.26 and $1.06 everywhere else. The purchase gap nearly closes, $63.00 against $56.61, because USD accounts converted 2.59% of clicks against 2.21% and sold a bigger first basket, $78.89 against $67.58, which is why their first-order ROAS ran higher, 1.51 against 1.28. The table cannot separate better buyers from better creative. The benchmarks by order value take the basket point further.
The same split over 90 days
Over the 90 days to 28 October 2026 the CPM gap widened: USD-billed accounts paid a median of $36.37 per thousand against $17.57 for other currencies (40 and 17 brands, 31 July to 7 September 2026), while CPA ran $65.76 against $60.37 (57 and 22 brands).
| Metric | USD-billed: median (IQR) | n | Not USD-billed: median (IQR) | n |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CTR (link) | 1.99% (1.27% to 2.54%) | 40 | 1.62% (1.14% to 2.29%) | 17 |
| CPM | $36.37 ($17.51 to $52.01) | 40 | $17.57 ($11.84 to $23.60) | 17 |
| CPC (link) | $1.74 ($1.33 to $2.42) | 40 | $1.10 ($0.89 to $1.82) | 17 |
| Conversion rate (purchases / link clicks) | 2.80% (1.63% to 3.73%) | 40 | 2.35% (1.11% to 3.60%) | 17 |
| CPA | $65.76 ($41.45 to $104.37) | 57 | $60.37 ($42.44 to $87.10) | 22 |
| ROAS (first-purchase) | 1.57 (0.88 to 1.85) | 57 | 1.43 (0.95 to 2.04) | 22 |
| AOV (purchase value / purchases) | $73.12 ($61.20 to $104.55) | 57 | $74.60 ($60.93 to $119.55) | 22 |
Source: MHI Meta Benchmarks, DTC, October 2026 edition (benchmark cuts, 29 October 2026).
Summer was dearer in dollar accounts and flat everywhere else: the USD median CPM went from $27.58 over the year to $36.37 here, while the non-USD median barely moved, $18.26 to $17.57. The USD click rose to $1.74 and conversion rate rose with it to 2.80%, so CPA held near $65.76. I would want that conversion rate holding before adding budget to a US account. The non-USD AOV jump to $74.60 is 22 brands; I would not build on it.
UK Meta ads benchmarks in GBP: GBP-billed accounts
GBP-billed accounts paid a median CPM of £13.61 ($18.08), a link CPC of £0.83 ($1.10) and a CPA of £42.68 ($56.72) over the 12 months to 28 October 2026, at a median first-purchase ROAS of 1.33 (12 brands for the delivery metrics, 13 for CPA, ROAS and AOV).
| Metric | 90 days: median (IQR) | n | 12 months: median (IQR) | n |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CTR (link) | 1.47% (1.15% to 2.15%) | 10 | 1.68% (1.31% to 1.96%) | 12 |
| CPM | £13.37 ($17.76; $14.10 to $21.63) | 10 | £13.61 ($18.08; $14.14 to $21.24) | 12 |
| CPC (link) | £0.93 ($1.24; $0.92 to $1.70) | 10 | £0.83 ($1.10; $0.89 to $1.51) | 12 |
| Conversion rate (purchases / link clicks) | 2.37% (1.08% to 2.62%) | 10 | 2.10% (1.34% to 2.65%) | 12 |
| CPA | £46.07 ($61.22; $42.82 to $99.65) | 11 | £42.68 ($56.72; $42.82 to $111.93) | 13 |
| ROAS (first-purchase) | 1.44 (0.90 to 2.27) | 11 | 1.33 (0.95 to 2.03) | 13 |
| AOV (purchase value / purchases) | £75.35 ($100.13; $55.02 to $149.27) | 11 | £59.92 ($79.62; $47.13 to $123.10) | 13 |
Source: MHI Meta Benchmarks, DTC, October 2026 edition (benchmark cuts, 29 October 2026).
Thirteen brands is enough to publish and too few to slice, so there is no UK fashion or beauty row; use the hub's vertical tables and expect a lower CPM. The CPM spread is tight ($14.14 to $21.24) and the CPA spread wide ($42.82 to $111.93): the auction prices UK brands much the same, and the difference is after the click. The UK Meta ads guide covers setup, the CAP Code and tone; this page is the numbers to put beside it.
What this means for your account
If you are a UK brand billed in GBP, benchmark against Table J3: CPM £13.61, CPC £0.83, CPA £42.68 and ROAS 1.33 over 12 months. The hub's all-brands row (CPM £17.79, CPC £1.05, CPA £44.28 over the 12 months to 21 October 2026) is mostly US accounts, and a UK account matching its CPM sits above the GBP-billed 75th percentile of $21.24.
If your CPM sits inside the GBP-billed interquartile range ($14.14 to $21.24) and your CPA above the 75th percentile of $111.93, the problem is after the click: check your conversion rate against the GBP-billed median of 2.10% and 25th percentile of 1.34%. For the full distribution of CPA and ROAS, see the percentile tables.
If you are expanding from the UK to the US, plan on the USD medians: CPM $27.58 over 12 months and $36.37 over the summer, CPC $1.59 to $1.74, and a 2.59% conversion rate to land a CPA near $63.00. US accounts pay more per thousand and per click and convert more of them, so creative has to carry conversion from day one. The international expansion guide covers the setup and the US marketing guide the market; the BeyondNine case study shows a fashion brand going from $300k to $2M a month in 18 months. Our Meta ads team runs this comparison on a strategy call.
If you are comparing agencies, our guide to Meta ads agencies for DTC brands sets out the options and who each one suits, and our guide to DTC ad creative agencies does the same for creative partners.
FAQ
What are the average Meta ads CPM and CPC in the UK in 2026?
Across 12 UK brands billed in GBP, the median Meta CPM was £13.61 ($18.08) and the median link CPC £0.83 ($1.10) between 8 January and 7 September 2026, inside the 12 months to 28 October 2026; over 31 July to 7 September 2026 (10 brands) they were £13.37 and £0.93. The hub's all-brands £17.79 and £1.05 are US-weighted.
Are Meta ads cheaper in the UK than in the US?
Per thousand and per click, yes: GBP-billed accounts paid a median CPM of $18.08 and CPC of $1.10 against $27.58 and $1.59 in USD-billed accounts (12 and 41 brands, 8 January to 7 September 2026). Per purchase the gap is smaller, $56.72 against $63.00 over the 12 months to 28 October 2026 (13 and 58 brands), because USD accounts converted 2.59% of link clicks against 2.10%.
What ROAS do UK brands get on Meta ads?
Across 13 GBP-billed brands, the median Meta-attributed first-purchase ROAS was 1.33 over the 12 months to 28 October 2026 (middle half 0.95 to 2.03) and 1.44 over the 90 days to the same date (11 brands). USD-billed accounts ran higher at 1.51 (58 brands). These count the first order only; repeat purchases and blended revenue sit outside them.
What is the average CPC for Meta ads in 2026?
It depends on the billing currency. Across 41 USD-billed DTC brands the median link CPC was $1.59 between 8 January and 7 September 2026; across 19 brands billed in other currencies it was $1.06, and across 12 GBP-billed brands £0.83 ($1.10). Over 31 July to 7 September 2026 the medians were $1.74, $1.10 and £0.93; the hub's all-brands median was $1.40 (60 brands).
Sources
- MHI Meta Benchmarks, DTC, October 2026 edition, MHI Media; hub post with methodology, 22 October 2026
- MHI Media warehouse of client Meta ad accounts, benchmark cuts edition, read-only extract 29 October 2026, data settled to 28 October 2026