You can start Facebook and Instagram ads with a few hundred rupees a day. The real question is how much you need to get enough customers to make it worthwhile.
Quick answer: most local businesses in India spend ₹15,000 to ₹50,000 a month on Meta ads. Cost per lead commonly falls between ₹50 and ₹800, depending on industry, city and offer.
How Meta charges
You set a daily or total budget, and Meta charges you as your ads are shown or clicked, through an auction. You never pay more than your budget. Ads are billed to your own ad account, and GST applies.
Typical costs we see
| Metric | Typical range in India |
|---|---|
| Cost per 1,000 impressions (CPM) | ₹50–₹300 |
| Cost per click (CPC) | ₹3–₹30 |
| Cost per lead, local services and retail | ₹50–₹250 |
| Cost per lead, education and healthcare | ₹100–₹400 |
| Cost per lead, real estate and high-ticket | ₹200–₹800+ |
These are broad ranges. Metros, festival seasons and weak creatives push costs up.
How to set your budget
- Decide how many customers you want each month.
- Estimate what share of leads become customers (often 5–20%).
- Multiply by an expected cost per lead.
Example: 20 customers ÷ 10% closing rate = 200 leads × ₹250 = ₹50,000 a month. Our ad budget calculator does this for you.
Minimum budget to start
₹10,000 to ₹15,000 a month in ad spend is enough to test one offer and one audience in one city. Give it at least two to three weeks before judging.
What lowers your cost per lead
- A clear, attractive offer.
- Creatives that stop the scroll, especially short videos.
- Targeting only areas you serve.
- A fast landing page or instant form with a couple of questions.
- Following up leads within minutes.
Management fees
If an agency runs your ads, you pay its fee separately from ad spend. Ad spend should always go directly from your own account to Meta. See our Meta ads cost guide for typical fees.
Want the full picture? This article is part of Meta ads: the complete guide, our in-depth guide with everything in one place.
