We collected the cost per lead from 41 of our Facebook and Instagram case studies. A free webinar sign-up costs $0.35–1.81, a lead for a local business $2–6.5, for a language or kids IT school $1–10, for a speech therapy school $14–15, in B2B $3.5–6.8. The gap between niches is up to 40x, and the same product costs up to 5x more per lead depending on the country. Compare the cost per client, not the cost per lead.
“How much will a lead cost?” is the second question at a consultation, right after “how much does your work cost”. Average figures from the internet barely help: according to LocaliQ, the average Facebook cost per lead in 2025 was $27.66, but that is the US and all niches combined. So we collected our own data: 41 MAS Project campaigns with budgets, lead counts and the cost of each lead. All figures are in the case studies on our website, together with ad account screenshots.
Cost per lead by niche: data from 41 case studies
Prices are in the ad account currency. A “lead” is a form, a message or a sign-up, depending on the campaign goal.
| Niche and examples | Cost per lead |
|---|---|
| Infobusiness: free live streams and webinars sign-up: “Awakening” course — $0.35 across 485,715 sign-ups, meditation training — $1.02, psychologist's training — $1.81; RedBot online service — $0.99, Reiki school — $1.50, targeted ads course — $1.80; yoga marathon in the UK — £0.38 | $0,35–1,81 |
| Online courses for adults lead: IT courses — $1.35, nutritionist via a quiz — $1.06 | $1,06–1,35 |
| Local services quad bike rental — $2.02, lunch delivery in Kyiv — $2.45, dates and gift vouchers — $5.74, dance schools — $5.81, cleaning — $6.5 | $2–6,5 |
| Cosmetology and real estate (Direct messages) inquiry: cosmetology center in Odesa — $2–2.5, real estate agency — $1–2.5 | $1–2,5 |
| Language schools English school with Direct leads — $1.09, online English school — $6.06, Polish language center — $6.21, kids online English school — $7.5 | $1,09–7,5 |
| Kids IT schools one network in different countries: Turkey — $2.2, Czech Republic — €6.1, Europe — €7.1, Switzerland — €10.2; 11 EU markets over 3 years — $7.2 | $2,2 – €10,2 |
| Kids camps football camp in Spain — €3.22, The Camp — $4.2, IT camps — $5.25 | €3,22 – $5,25 |
| Education in Europe online web design school in Italy — $6.70, admission to universities in Slovakia — $7.5 | $6,7–7,5 |
| Speech therapy schools kids speech therapy school — $14, international speech therapy school — $15 | $14–15 |
| B2B call center — $3.5, sales team building — $5.52, CRM for schools — $6.69, consulting — $6.78 | $3,5–6,78 |
| E-commerce eco products — $1.1–1.6 per inquiry, military clothing — $2.55 per sale, sportswear — $4.44 per purchase, car mats — $5 per lead, premium car accessories — $7.3 per lead | $1,1–7,3 |
Takeaway 1. The country changes the cost per lead several times over
The same network of kids IT schools with the same product: a lead cost $2.2 in Turkey, €6.1 in the Czech Republic and €10.2 in Switzerland. Almost a 5x difference. So when someone quotes you a “market” cost per lead, ask right away which country the figure is for. Prices in Ukraine, the Czech Republic and Switzerland cannot be compared with each other.
Takeaway 2. An expensive lead can be cheaper than a cheap one
A lead for the international speech therapy school cost $15, the most expensive in the table. But 46% of those leads became clients, so one client cost about $33. At the second speech therapy school a lead cost $14, and 44% of children who came for an assessment became clients. For comparison: if a lead costs $3 and one in twenty becomes a client, a client costs $60.
Count the cost per client: cost per lead ÷ share of leads that bought. This is the figure that shows whether the ads pay off.
Takeaway 3. A Direct message is cheaper than a form but needs fast replies
The cheapest inquiries in the table are Instagram Direct messages: $1–2.5 in cosmetology and real estate, $1.09 at an English school. Writing a message is easier than filling in a form. The downside is that these inquiries “cool down” fast: at the cosmetology center 30–40% of inquiries turned into a booked procedure.
Takeaway 4. A bigger budget does not have to raise the cost per lead
A common fear: “if we raise the budget, leads will get more expensive.” In our projects this happens only when the budget grows without new creatives and audiences. A kids IT school spent $820,250 over 3 years and got 113,925 leads at an average of $7.2 across 11 EU markets. A car mat brand scaled 15x at $5 per lead. How it is done is in our article on scaling ads without a higher cost per lead.
How to calculate an acceptable cost per lead for your business
- Average order value — how much one client brings in. If clients come back, use the revenue per year.
- Margin — the share of the order value left after costs.
- Lead-to-sale conversion — how many leads out of 100 become clients.
Acceptable cost per lead = average order value × margin × conversion.
Example: a course costs $300, the margin is 60%, and 10% of leads buy. $300 × 0.6 × 0.1 = $18. Any lead cheaper than $18 is profitable, and a $6 lead pays off three times over. If your acceptable cost comes out lower than the figure for your niche in the table, work on your sales team's conversion first, not on the ads.
How much impressions and clicks cost on Facebook and Instagram in different countries is covered in “How much targeted ads cost in 2026”. How much a targeting specialist or agency costs is in “How much a targeting specialist or agency costs in 2026”.
Sources
- Search Engine Land — Facebook ad costs jump 21% in 2025 (LocaliQ data: average cost per lead $27.66)
- MAS Project case studies with budgets, cost per lead and ad account screenshots
Want to know how much a lead will cost in your niche?
We will look at your niche, geography and average order value, compare them with our case studies and calculate an acceptable cost per lead. Free 30-minute consultation.
Get a free consultationFrequently asked questions
How much does a lead from Facebook and Instagram cost in 2026?
Across 41 MAS Project case studies: a free webinar sign-up costs $0.35–1.81, a lead for a local business $2–6.5, for a language school $1–7.5, for a kids IT school from $2.2 in Turkey to €10.2 in Switzerland, for a speech therapy school $14–15, in B2B $3.5–6.8. For comparison, LocaliQ puts the average Facebook cost per lead in 2025 at $27.66 (US).
Why does the cost per lead vary several times within one niche?
The main factors are the country, the offer and the lead format. The same kids IT school got leads at $2.2 in Turkey and €10.2 in Switzerland. A Direct message is almost always cheaper than a filled-in form, and a free webinar sign-up is cheaper than a request for a paid service.
What cost per lead is considered normal?
Normal is whatever lets the ads pay off. Count the cost per client, not the cost per lead: cost per lead divided by the share of leads that became clients. A $15 lead for a speech therapy school with a 46% lead-to-client rate gives a client for about $33 — cheaper than a $3 lead with a 5% rate, where a client costs $60.
Does the cost per lead grow when the budget increases?
Not necessarily. In our case studies a kids IT school kept an average of $7.2 per lead across 11 EU markets over 3 years and $820,250 of budget, and a car mat brand scaled 15x at $5 per lead. The cost grows when the budget increases without new creatives and audiences.
How do you lower the cost per lead?
Test more creatives, especially video; check the lead format (Direct, form, quiz); narrow the offer to one audience pain point; remove extra steps before the lead form on the website. Detailed techniques are in our article on scaling ads without a higher cost per lead.