Ad Break-Even Calculator
before you spend a dollar
Find the most you can pay per click, lead and customer, then see whether typical ad costs clear that bar.
The most you can pay and still hit your target
$72
per customer
$18.00
per lead
$1.44
per click
📈 Can the typical advertiser clear your bar?
Published median cost per lead against your ceiling of $18.00 per lead.
Restaurants & food Google Search median (LocaliQ 2026)
all-industry Meta lead-campaign median (LocaliQ 2026)
Medians across advertisers of every size; your own results will differ. If a channel is over your ceiling, raise customer value (memberships, rebooking), lift your close rate, or test it with a small budget before scaling. See all sources and rates
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How do you calculate a break-even cost per click?
Multiply what a new customer is worth by your profit margin to get profit per customer. Divide by the return you want per $1 of ads, multiply by the share of leads that become customers (gives your maximum cost per lead), then multiply by the share of clicks that become leads. That final number is the most a click can cost before the ads lose money.
What is a good conversion rate for local business ads?
It varies widely by industry. LocaliQ's 2026 search benchmarks show medians around 6 to 8% of clicks becoming leads in several local categories, but your own landing page, offer and tracking decide your real number. Measure it for 30 days before trusting any benchmark.
Should I use first-year value or lifetime value?
Start with first-year value. Lifetime value is higher but uncertain, and ad spend is paid now. If repeat visits are strong (salons, groomers, gyms), a longer horizon can justify a higher ceiling, but check it against your own retention data.
Where do the cost-per-lead medians come from?
From LocaliQ's 2026 search and Facebook benchmark pages, plus one second-hand roundup for fitness. Every figure, source and confidence label is listed on our rates page.
Next: split your budget with the marketing budget calculator or browse every benchmark on the rates page.