Cost per install benchmarks by country, platform, and category
See how your CPI compares to the market. Explore median cost per install across India, the US, Europe, and APAC, broken down by platform, app category, and season, in dollars or rupees.
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How does your CPI compare to the market?
Explore CPI benchmarks across regions, platforms, and app categories. Data compiled from 10+ industry sources (2025-2026).
2x - 4x
Ad-monetized with thin margins. Hyper-casual needs sub-$1 CPI. Hybrid-casual tolerates $1-3. Volume is key.
1x multiplier
Baseline quarter. Moderate competition. Good for testing and scaling campaigns. Ramadan affects MEA markets.
0.12x vs US
Lowest CPI globally. Massive Android-dominant market with 95%+ Android share. High volume, lower ARPU.
Median cost per install in India by app category
Blended median CPI for Indian app installs, by platform and category. Values shown in US dollars with the rupee equivalent at ₹94 to the dollar.
| App category | Android median | iOS median |
|---|---|---|
| Fintech / Finance | $0.80 / ₹75 | $2.00 / ₹188 |
| Gaming (Mid-core/Hardcore) | $0.50 / ₹47 | $1.50 / ₹141 |
| Travel | $0.40 / ₹38 | $1.00 / ₹94 |
| Social / Dating | $0.35 / ₹33 | $1.00 / ₹94 |
| Food Delivery | $0.30 / ₹28 | $0.80 / ₹75 |
| Health / Fitness | $0.20 / ₹19 | $0.60 / ₹56 |
| Gaming (Casual) | $0.12 / ₹11 | $0.50 / ₹47 |
| Education | $0.12 / ₹11 | $0.40 / ₹38 |
| E-commerce / Shopping | $0.10 / ₹9 | $0.35 / ₹33 |
| Entertainment / Streaming | $0.10 / ₹9 | $0.30 / ₹28 |
| Utilities | $0.05 / ₹5 | $0.15 / ₹14 |
How cost per install compares across regions
CPI relative to the United States, where US equals 1.0x. India is among the lowest-cost markets in the world.
| Region | CPI vs US | Context |
|---|---|---|
| India | 0.12x | Lowest CPI globally. Massive Android-dominant market with 95%+ Android share. High volume, lower ARPU. |
| Southeast Asia | 0.18x | Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia. Android-heavy, fast-growing market with moderate ARPU. |
| United States | 1x | Most expensive market globally. Highest CPI at $5.28 avg (2024). Premium users with highest LTV. |
| Europe | 0.55x | Wide variance: Western Europe (UK, DE, FR) ~0.65x US; Southern/Eastern Europe ~0.35x US. Blended ~0.55x. |
| Latin America | 0.1x | Brazil, Mexico lead. Very cost-effective for scale. LATAM CPI ~$0.34-0.50 avg. Growing fintech market. |
| Middle East / Africa | 0.25x | UAE/Saudi command premium CPIs (~0.4x US). Sub-Saharan Africa is very cheap (~0.08x US). Blended ~0.25x. |
Frequently asked questions
Cost per install benchmarks, regions, platforms, and how to act on them.
Measure the installs your CPI is actually buying
Linkrunner ties every install to its real source, so you can judge CPI against retention and revenue, not inflated click counts.