Carter Media - Performance & Growth
    Forecast · Updated October 2026

    How much will Google Ads and Meta Ads cost in Australia? 2028 benchmarks forecast

    Our 2028 forecast projects Google Ads in Australia at $0.85 to $2.50 per click for e-commerce and $4.85 to $16.50 per click for lead generation, with average cost per lead rising to $55 in home services and up to $359 in B2B. E-commerce Search and Shopping is expected to return 2.9x to 7.0x ROAS, while Meta Ads should cost $0.50 to $2.80 per click and $21 to $127 per lead. These are planning projections extended from Carter Media's 2026 managed-account benchmarks and 2027 forecast, adjusted for observed auction-price inflation — not measured 2028 results.

    See the 2027 benchmarks forecast →

    $100M+

    paid media managed across Australia and New Zealand since 2020

    $300M+

    tracked client revenue generated from that spend

    50+

    brands across e-commerce, lead generation, SaaS and trades

    ROAS and cost per lead calculator

    Enter your monthly ad spend and pick the closest segment to see the expected click, lead, ROAS and revenue ranges based on the Australian and New Zealand benchmarks published on this page.

    Google Ads · CPC $1–$2 · conv. rate 1.8%–4.2%

    Expected clicks / mo
    2,381–6,667
    Expected conversions / mo
    43–280
    Expected ROAS
    3.1x–7.4x
    Expected revenue / mo
    $15,500–$37,000

    Estimates use the 25th–75th percentile ranges from the tables below, exclusive of GST and management fees. Platform-reported ROAS reads higher than blended ROAS — see the blended ROAS definition and book a free ads audit for a modelled forecast on your own account data.

    How much will Google Ads cost in Australia in 2028?

    Our 2028 forecast projects Google Ads at $0.85 to $2.50 per click for e-commerce and $4.85 to $16.50 per click for lead generation categories such as trades, B2B and professional services — roughly 8% above our 2027 forecast, in line with the auction-price inflation we have observed year over year. Most small and mid-sized advertisers should budget $4,000 to $38,000 per month in media, with a practical minimum of about $2,700 per month to feed automated bidding enough conversion data.

    What will the average cost per click be in Australia in 2028?

    We project the average Google Ads cost per click in Australia in 2028 at $0.85 to $2.50 for e-commerce Search and Shopping, and $4.85 to $16.50 for high-value service categories. Meta Ads should remain materially cheaper at $0.50 to $2.80 per click, because it is interruption rather than intent traffic.

    What will the average cost per lead be in Australia in 2028?

    Projected average cost per lead in Australia for 2028 ranges from $55 to $156 on Google Ads for home services and trades, $81 to $300 for professional services and $110 to $359 for B2B. Meta Ads lead forms should produce cheaper leads at $21 to $127, though they typically qualify at a lower rate than search leads.

    What is a good ROAS in 2028?

    A good ROAS in 2028 is still anything above your break-even, which equals 1 divided by your gross margin — a 40% margin store breaks even at 2.5x. We project Australian and New Zealand e-commerce accounts on Google Search and Shopping to return 2.9x to 7.0x, Meta prospecting 1.7x to 4.0x and Meta retargeting 4.6x to 11.0x, with rising click costs mildly compressing returns versus 2027.

    How much will Facebook and Instagram ads cost in Australia in 2028?

    We project Meta Ads in Australia in 2028 at $0.50 to $2.80 per click depending on objective and audience, with e-commerce retargeting cheapest and local service prospecting most expensive. Cost per lead through on-platform forms should run $21 to $98, and conversion rates should hold between 1.1% and 13% depending on campaign type.

    How accurate are these 2028 benchmarks?

    These are planning projections, not measured results. They are extended from Carter Media's 2026 managed-account benchmarks for Australia and New Zealand via our 2027 forecast, adjusted for observed auction-price inflation and platform changes. Projections two years out carry more uncertainty than one-year forecasts, so use these ranges for early budgeting and revisit the measured 2026 benchmarks or the 2027 forecast for nearer-term planning.

    Meta Ads benchmarks by campaign type (2028)

    Meta Ads benchmarks by campaign type (2028) — cost per click, cost per lead, conversion rate and return on ad spend ranges
    SegmentAvg CPC (AUD)Avg CPL (AUD)Conv. rateROAS
    E-commerce prospecting$0.65 – $1.90n/a1.1% – 2.8%1.7x – 4.0x
    E-commerce retargeting$0.50 – $1.40n/a3.5% – 8.0%4.6x – 11.0x
    Lead gen (on-platform forms)$0.80 – $2.60$21 – $986.0% – 13%n/a (lead gen)
    Local services$0.90 – $2.80$37 – $1274.0% – 9.5%n/a (lead gen)

    Methodology

    These are projections, not measured results. They start from Carter Media’s 2027 managed-account benchmark ranges for Australia and New Zealand and adjust for the auction-price inflation we have observed year over year, continued adoption of automated bidding, and privacy-driven changes to targeting and measurement. Actual 2028 costs will vary by industry, competition and account quality — treat these ranges as planning figures, not guarantees.

    Citation

    Free to cite with attribution: “Carter Media, Australia & New Zealand Paid Media Benchmarks 2028 (Forecast), cartermedia.com.au/benchmarks-2028”.

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