How much does performance marketing cost? India, UK, USA, UAE and Australia
What you will actually pay, split into ad spend and management fee, with the minimum budgets I suggest in each market and how to work out your own.
Premkumar Ragav
"How much does it cost?" deserves a better answer than "it depends", so here is how I think about it. These are starting points from my own work, not market surveys.
The two costs
Ad spend goes straight to Google or Meta. The management fee pays for the person running it. Keep them separate on every quote, so you can see exactly where your money goes.
Minimum ad budgets I usually suggest
| Market | Starting ad spend per month | What affects it most |
|---|---|---|
| India | ₹50,000 | Lead quality more than click cost |
| UK | £1,000 | Competition in your city and service |
| USA | $1,500 | High click costs in legal, health and home services |
| Australia | A$2,000 | Multi-city coverage |
| UAE | Discussed per emirate and sector | Dubai is far more competitive than other emirates |
These are floors for a sensible test, not targets. Below them, an account often cannot gather enough data to learn.
Work out your own number
Monthly floor = cost per click ÷ conversion rate × 30
A clinic paying ₹60 a click with a 6% conversion rate needs 60 ÷ 0.06 × 30, or about ₹30,000, to reach 30 conversions a month. The full reasoning is in how much to spend on Google Ads, and the ad budget planner does the sums for you.
Management fee models
- Flat monthly fee. Predictable, and it does not reward spending more.
- Percentage of spend. Scales with the work, but can reward higher spend for its own sake.
- Fee plus performance. Attractive, but only fair when tracking is reliable.
Costs people forget
- A proper landing page
- Creative: photos, video and design
- Tracking setup, done correctly once
- Tools such as CRM and WhatsApp API messaging
Is it worth it?
Compare the cost per customer with the profit from one customer. The break-even ROAS calculator shows the most you can afford to pay. If you would like me to check your numbers, book a free consultation.
Frequently asked
What is a good budget to start performance marketing?
Enough to reach around 30 conversions a month per campaign. As a rule of thumb, I start from ₹50,000 a month in India, £1,000 in the UK, $1,500 in the USA and A$2,000 in Australia.
Is performance marketing cheaper in India?
Clicks are usually cheaper in India, but so are many of the products and services being sold. What matters is your cost per customer compared with the profit you make on them.
Can I run ads without a specialist?
Yes, at small budgets, if you have the time to learn. Costs tend to rise when spend grows and nobody is checking search terms and tracking.