Google Ads budget calculator
Monthly budget = leads you want x cost per lead. Across 23 industries LocaliQ's 2026 average is $66.69 per lead and $5.42 per click, so 25 leads a month comes to about $1,667. Pick your industry below to use its figures, then divide by 30.4 for the daily budget Google asks for.
Calculate your budget
Pick an industry to prefill LocaliQ's 2026 figures, or type your own. It runs in your browser and sends nothing.[1]
The two budgets differ because the benchmark cost per lead, cost per click and conversion rate are each calculated separately across thousands of campaigns, not taken from one account. Plan for the higher one, then use your own numbers after 30 days.
RunAds plans the campaign at your budget and writes the ads.
How it's calculated
Budget from cost per lead = leads x cost per leadBudget from clicks = leads / conversion rate x cost per clickDaily budget = monthly budget / 30.4
Google can spend up to 2 times your average daily budget on a given day and up to 30.4 times it in a month, which is why the daily figure divides by 30.4.[3] The benchmark figures come from WordStream and LocaliQ's 2026 report, which covers search campaigns from April 2025 to March 2026.[2]
A home improvement company that wants 25 leads a month
Figures from LocaliQ's 2026 Home & Home Improvement row.[1] After 30 days, replace them with the account's own cost per lead.
Before you set the budget
- Check what a lead is worth with the CPA calculator. A budget that buys leads above your break-even CPA loses money at any size.
- Split the budget by campaign. Emergency or high-value services deserve their own campaign so a cheap service doesn't use up the money.
- Leave room for testing. The first month buys data as well as leads.
- Read the industry pages for trade-specific numbers, such as plumbers, roofers or lawyers.
Link to this tool
Common questions
How do I calculate a Google Ads budget?
Multiply the leads you want each month by your cost per lead. Without your own data, use a benchmark: LocaliQ's 2026 all-industry average is $66.69 per lead, so 25 leads is $1,667.25 a month. A second way is leads / conversion rate x cost per click. Plan for the higher of the two.
How do I turn a monthly budget into a daily budget?
Divide by 30.4. Google sets budgets per day and can spend up to 2 times the average daily budget on a busy day, but over a month it won't charge more than 30.4 times the daily budget.
Why do the two budget figures differ?
Benchmark cost per lead, cost per click and conversion rate are each calculated separately across thousands of campaigns, so multiplying them together doesn't land exactly on the cost per lead. Plan with the higher figure and switch to your own numbers after 30 days.
How small can a Google Ads budget be?
Work backward from clicks. A budget that buys only a handful of clicks a day won't produce enough conversions to learn from. Divide your lead goal by your conversion rate to get the clicks you need, then multiply by your industry's cost per click.
Can RunAds plan the budget for me?
Yes. RunAds reads your site, plans campaigns at the budget you set and shows you the full launch before anything goes live. Signing up is free and credit packs start at $25.
Sources
- NEW 2026 Search Advertising Benchmarks (+Tips), LocaliQ (with WordStream), by Stephanie Heitman. Last updated June 1, 2026.Google Ads and Microsoft Ads search campaigns across 23 industries. The page labels each figure an average.
- Google Ads CPL drops for first time since 2020 as CPC hits $5.42, PPC Land, covering WordStream's 2026 benchmarks (published May 19, 2026). 2026.Methodology: 13,474 US search campaigns, April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, reported as medians. WordStream's own page blocks our fetcher, so this is the methodology as reported.
- About average daily budgets, Google Ads Help. Checked Oct 30, 2026.A campaign can spend up to 2x its average daily budget on a given day, and up to 30.4x it in a month.
Every outside number on this page links to its source above, with the date we checked it.
Related pages
A budget that buys the leads.
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