NZ & AU market averages — 2026
NZ avg CPC
$3.24
NZD · search campaigns
AU avg CPC
$4.12
AUD · search campaigns
NZ avg CTR
9.1%
vs global avg 6.7%
Global avg CPC (2026)
$5.42
USD · up 3% from 2025
CPC by industry — NZ & AU search
| Industry | NZD CPC (est.) | AUD CPC (est.) | Global USD CPC | Conversion rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Legal & professional services
|
$14–$18 | $15–$20 | $9.87 | 4–6% |
|
Dentists & dental services
|
$9–$14 | $10–$16 | $8.00 | 5–8% |
|
Home services (trades, electrical, plumbing)
|
$8–$16 | $9–$18 | $8.33 | 7–10% |
|
Finance & insurance
|
$7–$12 | $8–$14 | $6.75 | 3–5% |
|
Healthcare & medical
|
$5–$9 | $6–$10 | ~$5.00 | 5–7% |
|
B2B / SaaS
|
$4–$8 | $5–$10 | ~$5.00 | 3–5% |
|
Hospitality & tourism
|
$2–$5 | $2–$6 | $1.50–$2.50 | 3–5% |
|
Retail & eCommerce
|
$1.50–$4 | $2–$5 | $1.16–$3.50 | 2–4% |
NZ context: New Zealand CPCs run approximately 14%
below the US average and slightly below Australian rates —
reflecting a smaller, less competitive market. NZ search CTR (9.1%)
significantly outperforms the global average of 6.7%, suggesting
strong intent alignment when ads are targeted well.
Meta Ads — platform averages 2026
AU avg CPC
$1.47
AUD · all placements · up 12% YoY
AU avg CPM
$11.04
AUD · per 1,000 impressions
Global avg CPC
$1.72
USD · Facebook · up 11% from 2025
Global avg ROAS
2.79×
Median across all industries
CPM by industry — Meta (Facebook + Instagram)
| Industry | CPM (AUD est.) | Global CPM (USD) | Avg CVR | CPC (est. AUD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Finance & insurance
|
$18–$24 | $12–$18 | 1.5–3% | $3.50–$6 |
|
Health & wellness / beauty
|
$16–$22 | $12.46 | 1.5–2.5% | $1.80–$3.50 |
|
Legal services
|
$14–$20 | $10–$15 | 1–2% | $3–$6 |
|
Retail & eCommerce
|
$10–$16 | $13.48 | 1.5–2% | $1.20–$2.50 |
|
Hospitality, food & beverage
|
$8–$13 | $7–$11 | 2–3% | $0.80–$1.50 |
|
Home services & trades
|
$8–$12 | $7–$10 | 2–3.5% | $0.90–$1.80 |
|
Automotive & hardware
|
$7–$11 | $6.96 | 1–2% | $0.90–$1.60 |
Placement CPM comparison — AU market (AUD est.)
Instagram Feed
$18–$26
Premium placement · highest engagement rate
Facebook Feed
$12–$18
Standard reach · broad audience access
Reels
$8–$13
45% cheaper than IG Feed · strong for brand awareness
Stories
$8–$14
Full-screen · swipe-up direct response
Audience Network
$4–$8
Lowest CPM · variable quality
Key insight: Reels deliver the highest
reach-per-dollar on Meta in 2026. For NZ and AU brand awareness
campaigns, Reels CPM is approximately 45% lower than Instagram Feed.
Advantage+ campaigns reduce CPA by approximately 32% compared to
manually configured campaigns.
Google Ads management fees — NZ & AU 2026
Freelancer / solo consultant
NZ: $75–$150/hr · AU: $60–$150/hr · monthly retainer $800–$2,500
NZD / mo
$800–$2,500
AUD / mo
$800–$2,500
Boutique agency
1–2 platforms · fixed monthly retainer
NZD / mo
$1,000–$2,500
AUD / mo
$1,000–$2,000
Mid-sized agency
Multi-platform · reporting · strategy included
NZD / mo
$2,000–$4,000
AUD / mo
$1,500–$3,000
Large agency
Full-service, multi-channel, dedicated team
NZD / mo
$4,000–$10,000+
AUD / mo
$3,000–$10,000+
Percentage of ad spend model
Common at larger agencies — creates incentive to increase your
budget
Fee structure
10–20% of spend
Setup fee
$750–$2,000
Note: The percentage-of-spend model creates a
direct financial incentive to increase your ad budget. For most
small NZ and AU businesses, a flat monthly retainer from a boutique
agency or experienced freelancer ($800–$2,500) delivers better
alignment and predictable costs.
Meta Ads management fees — NZ & AU 2026
Freelancer — social ads specialist
Campaign setup + monthly management + basic reporting
NZD / mo
$600–$1,800
AUD / mo
$600–$2,000
Agency — Meta + Google combined
Both platforms · creative direction · reporting dashboard
NZD / mo
$2,000–$5,000
AUD / mo
$1,500–$5,000
Recommended minimum ad spend — NZ & AU
Google Ads — monthly ad spend (excl. management fee)
Testing / starting out
$500–$1,000
Enough to gather data. Expect limited reach. Not sufficient
for meaningful conversions in high-CPC industries.
Recommended minimum
$1,500–$3,000
Most agencies won't take Google Ads clients below this. Enough
for meaningful volume in most NZ and AU markets.
Competitive / growth
$3,000–$10,000+
Required in legal, dental, home services, finance. Campaigns
reach peak performance at 8–12 weeks of sustained spend.
Meta Ads — monthly ad spend (excl. management fee)
Brand awareness / testing
$300–$800
Viable on Meta at lower budgets than Google, especially for
local awareness. Pixel needs time to learn.
Leads & conversions
$1,000–$2,500
Enough for Advantage+ to optimise effectively. Retargeting
campaigns viable from $500/mo alongside prospecting.
eCommerce / scaling
$2,500–$8,000+
Required for full-funnel Meta strategy: prospecting,
retargeting, and retention running simultaneously.
Total monthly budget — what to expect all-in
| Scenario | Platform | Ad spend (NZD / mo) | Mgmt fee (est.) | Total / mo (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local service business — starting | $1,500 | $800–$1,200 | $2,300–$2,700 | |
| eCommerce — brand awareness | Meta | $1,000 | $600–$1,200 | $1,600–$2,200 |
| Trades / home services | $2,500–$4,000 | $1,000–$2,000 | $3,500–$6,000 | |
| Small business — dual platform | Google + Meta | $2,000–$4,000 | $1,500–$3,000 | $3,500–$7,000 |
| Legal / dental / professional | $4,000–$8,000 | $1,500–$3,000 | $5,500–$11,000 |
Key insight: Ad spend is always billed directly to
the platform — never to your agency. If an agency is invoicing you
for ad spend rather than passing it through, this is a significant
red flag. Always request direct billing access to your Google Ads
and Meta Ads accounts.