Ad costs and benchmarks · Guide
How much does Google Ads cost in Australia?
By Limon Ghosh, Sydney · Updated 24 October 2026 · 7 min read
Short answer: published Google search benchmarks put an average click at about US$5.42 and an average lead at about US$66.69, but the range by industry is huge: from about US$30 for car repair to about US$132 for legal. The figures are mostly US data, and Australia had the highest average search cost per click in Asia-Pacific in December 2024 (Statista), so plan for the higher end and convert to Australian dollars.
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The numbers: what a click and a lead cost
Cost per click is what you pay each time someone clicks your ad. Cost per lead is what you pay for each enquiry. They are different, and the second one is what you can actually budget with.
Google search cost per click by industry
US dollars, highest to lowest
Source: LocaliQ Search Advertising Benchmarks, updated 1 June 2026. LocaliQ’s own client campaigns across Google and Microsoft Ads, mainly US.
View as table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Attorneys and legal | US$9.87 |
| Home and home improvement | US$8.33 |
| Business services (B2B) | US$5.87 |
| All industries | US$5.42 |
| Education | US$4.81 |
| Apparel, fashion and jewellery | US$4.44 |
| Automotive repair and service | US$4.35 |
| Shopping and gifts | US$4.14 |
| Automotive for sale | US$2.27 |
Google search cost per lead by industry
US dollars, highest to lowest
Source: LocaliQ, updated 1 June 2026. Same sample as above.
View as table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Attorneys and legal | US$131.63 |
| Apparel, fashion and jewellery | US$97.51 |
| Business services (B2B) | US$93.69 |
| Home and home improvement | US$90.92 |
| Education | US$77.48 |
| All industries | US$66.69 |
| Shopping and gifts | US$49.40 |
| Automotive for sale | US$44.26 |
| Automotive repair and service | US$29.96 |
| Industry | CTR | CPC (US$) | Conversion rate | Cost per lead (US$) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attorneys and legal | 5.87% | $9.87 | 5.55% | $131.63 |
| Home and home improvement | 6.47% | $8.33 | 8.05% | $90.92 |
| Business services (B2B) | 6.10% | $5.87 | 4.85% | $93.69 |
| All industries | 6.64% | $5.42 | 8.18% | $66.69 |
| Education | 7.56% | $4.81 | 13.14% | $77.48 |
| Apparel, fashion and jewellery | 6.64% | $4.44 | 4.50% | $97.51 |
| Automotive repair and service | 5.56% | $4.35 | 15.51% | $29.96 |
| Shopping and gifts | 8.28% | $4.14 | 4.01% | $49.40 |
| Automotive for sale | 8.28% | $2.27 | 6.01% | $44.26 |
Source: LocaliQ, updated 1 June 2026.
How to turn this into an Australian budget
- Pick your industry rowUse your own industry, not the all-industries average. Legal leads cost about four times what car-repair leads cost.
- Convert to Australian dollarsUse the current exchange rate. Treat the result as a floor, not a target.
- Add a bufferStatista reports that Australia had the highest average search cost per click in Asia-Pacific in December 2024, so allow for the higher end.
- Work out cost per lead yourselfA rough rule: cost per click ÷ conversion rate = cost per lead. Example (arithmetic, not a benchmark): A$4 per click at a 5% conversion rate is about A$80 per lead.
- Compare with what a customer is worthIf a customer is worth A$1,000 in profit and one lead in five becomes a customer, you can afford up to A$200 per lead.
Published figures will not match the rule exactly. They are averages across many accounts, so use the rule to sense-check your own numbers, not to predict them.
Search, Shopping and Performance Max
The figures above are for search ads. Google Shopping and Performance Max work differently: they show your products and are judged on return on ad spend, not cost per lead. We did not find a credible Australia-only benchmark for either, so judge them against your own break-even. See our Meta cost guide for how to calculate it.
How to cut wasted Google Ads spend
- Add negative keywords every week so you stop paying for searches that never buy.
- Check your match types. Broad match without good tracking can burn budget.
- Target your real service area instead of the whole country.
- Send each ad group to a matching page so the visitor sees what they searched for.
- Track real leads and sales, not just clicks. See our GA4 guide.
- Review the search terms report at least weekly in the first month.
We run Google Ads for Australian and US businesses. See our Google Ads page for Australia, or the wasted ad spend checker to test your own numbers.
Sources
- LocaliQ: Search Advertising Benchmarks (updated 1 June 2026)
- MindfulClicks: 2026 ad benchmarks for Australia and the USA
Questions answered
How much does Google Ads cost per month in Australia?
There is no fixed price. You set the budget, and what it buys depends on your industry and keywords. Work backwards: decide how many leads you want, multiply by your likely cost per lead, and add a buffer, since Australia had the highest average search cost per click in Asia-Pacific in December 2024 (Statista).
What is a good cost per click on Google Ads?
Published figures put the all-industry average at about US$5.42, with legal at about US$9.87 and automotive for sale at about US$2.27. A good cost per click is one that still leaves you profit after your conversion rate.
Why is my Google Ads cost per lead so high?
The common causes are broad keywords, a weak landing page, a poor conversion rate and missing tracking. Check the search terms report first, then the page the ads send people to.
Are these figures for Australia?
No. They are from LocaliQ, mainly US campaigns, and we found no credible Australia-only benchmark. Convert to Australian dollars and treat them as a rough guide.
Should I use Google Ads or Meta ads?
Google search reaches people already looking for what you sell. Meta reaches people who are not looking yet. Many businesses start with search and add Meta later. A free audit call can work out the right order for your budget.
Limon Ghosh runs MindfulClicks from Sydney and manages paid ads, tracking and Claude AI automation for online stores and B2B companies in Australia and the USA.
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