CPM Calculator — Cost Per Mille Formula, in three directions
Solve for CPM, impressions, or budget — pick the one you don't know and the calculator fills it in. Includes channel benchmarks, plus optional click and CPC forecasting when you add a CTR.
The CPM formula
Example: €5,000 spend, 500,000 impressions → CPM = (5,000 ÷ 500,000) × 1,000 = €10 per 1,000 impressions.
Calculate CPM, impressions, or spend
Pick what you want to solve for. Enter the other two — the tool fills in the third.
Total budget.
Times the ad is shown.
Cost per 1,000 impressions.
Meta (FB / IG) CPM range: 6,00 €–18,00 €
Add CTR to also estimate clicks and CPC.
All math runs in your browser. We never store your numbers.
CPM is a diagnostic, not a goal
CPM (cost per mille — Latin for thousand) is the price tag on attention. Auctions on every major platform — Meta, Google, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, OTT — ultimately reduce to a CPM, even when you bid on clicks or conversions. The platform decides how much to charge per impression based on competition, your relevance score, and the audience you're targeting, then converts that into whatever bidding model you picked.
That means CPM tells you about auction pressure, not performance. A €40 LinkedIn CPM is normal because LinkedIn audiences are scarce and high-intent. A €4 Display CPM is also normal because Display inventory is huge and attention is cheap. Comparing the two as if they were the same metric is meaningless — you need to convert both into cost-per-customer before either number says anything useful.
The right way to use CPM: pair it with CTR to get CPC, pair CPC with conversion rate to get CPL, pair CPL with close rate to get CAC. Each step strips a layer of platform noise off and leaves you with the only number that ties media spend to business outcomes.
CPM ranges by channel (€)
- Google Search€1 – €4
- Google Display€1 – €5
- Meta (FB / IG)€6 – €18
- TikTok Ads€5 – €14
- YouTube Ads€4 – €18
- OTT / Connected TV€18 – €50
- LinkedIn Ads (B2B)€25 – €70
Numbers are blended European medians — they shift by vertical, audience size, and seasonality. Use as goalposts, not gospel.
See which CPM drives real revenueFrequently asked questions
What is the CPM formula?
CPM = (Total ad spend ÷ Total impressions) × 1,000. The 'M' is the Roman numeral for thousand — CPM literally means 'cost per mille' (per thousand impressions). Spend €5,000, get 500,000 impressions → CPM = (5,000 ÷ 500,000) × 1,000 = €10. So you're paying €10 for every 1,000 times your ad is shown.
How do I calculate impressions from a CPM?
Rearrange the formula: Impressions = (Spend ÷ CPM) × 1,000. With a €5,000 budget at a €10 CPM you'll buy (5,000 ÷ 10) × 1,000 = 500,000 impressions. This calculator lets you switch the input and solve for any of the three variables — CPM, impressions, or spend.
How do I calculate the spend needed to hit X impressions?
Spend = (Impressions ÷ 1,000) × CPM. To buy 1 million impressions on a channel with a €15 CPM, you need (1,000,000 ÷ 1,000) × 15 = €15,000. This is the most useful direction when you're planning a campaign in reverse — start with the audience you need to reach, then back-solve the budget.
What is a good CPM?
It depends entirely on the channel and audience. Rough European medians: Google Search €1–4, Google Display €1–5, Meta €6–18, TikTok €5–14, LinkedIn €25–70 (B2B premium), YouTube €4–18, OTT/CTV €18–50. LinkedIn looks 'expensive' on CPM but reaches a B2B audience nobody else can — premium CPM with the right audience is cheaper per outcome than a low CPM that misses your ICP.
What's the difference between CPM, CPC, and CPA?
CPM = cost per 1,000 impressions (you pay to be seen). CPC = cost per click (you pay when someone clicks). CPA = cost per action / acquisition (you pay when someone converts). All three are linked: CPC = CPM ÷ (CTR × 10), and CPA = CPC ÷ conversion rate. The metric you optimize for depends on the buying model the platform offers and what stage of funnel you're measuring.
Why is CPM rising on Meta and Google over time?
Three things stack up: (1) competition — more advertisers in the same auctions push prices up, (2) audience saturation — your existing audience hits frequency caps, so the algorithm pays more for incremental reach, and (3) creative fatigue — same creative shown to the same people earns lower engagement signal, which the platform compensates for by raising your delivery cost. Refresh creative before you accept rising CPMs as 'just the market'.
Should I optimize for low CPM?
Almost never. Low CPM is a vanity metric — it's easy to chase and disconnected from outcomes. A €3 CPM on bot traffic costs you more per customer than a €40 CPM on perfectly-targeted decision-makers. The only honest optimization target is CAC (or CPA, ROAS, MER — whatever lines up with revenue). CPM is a diagnostic, not a goal.
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