CPM Calculator
CPM is what you pay for a thousand impressions. Divide your spend by impressions, then multiply by 1,000. Enter your numbers below and it's calculated for you.
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Result
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Formula
CPM = (Total spend ÷ Impressions) × 1,000
Worked example
Spend $500 and get 125,000 impressions: 500 ÷ 125,000 = $0.004 per impression, × 1,000 = a CPM of $4.00.
What's a good number?
There is no universal good CPM — it is set by how expensive your audience is to reach, not by how well your ad performs. Broad consumer audiences on Meta often run $5–15. Narrow B2B or high-income targeting can run $30–80+. A rising CPM on the same audience usually means competition increased or your ad is being shown less efficiently because engagement dropped. CPM on its own tells you nothing about results: a $3 CPM that produces no leads is worse than a $30 CPM that fills your calendar.
Questions
- What does CPM stand for?
- Cost per mille — mille being Latin for thousand. It is the cost of one thousand impressions.
- Is a lower CPM always better?
- No. CPM measures the cost of attention, not the value of it. Cheap impressions shown to people who will never buy cost you more in the end than expensive impressions shown to the right people. Judge campaigns on cost per lead or cost per sale, and use CPM to explain changes in those numbers.
- Why did my CPM go up?
- The usual causes are seasonal auction competition (CPMs rise sharply in Q4), a narrower audience, a drop in engagement on your creative, or an expanded audience that includes more expensive placements.
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