Cost Per Mille Calculator

Work out the cost per thousand impressions, the standard unit for buying display and video media.

About Cost Per Mille Calculator

Dividing spend by the number of impressions gives the unit economics of the channel scaled to a per-thousand basis as the metric is conventionally quoted. The reciprocal — impressions delivered per unit of currency — is shown alongside, because that is the figure to maximise when a budget is fixed. Unit cost is the only number that lets you compare channels with wildly different budgets, and it is the input every bid and budget decision ultimately rests on.

Formula

Cost Per Mille

Cost Per Mille (CPM) = Ad spend ÷ Impressions delivered × 1,000

Ad spend: Total amount spent in the period
Impressions delivered: Countable outcomes delivered for that spend

Worked example

With the default values below, Cost Per Mille Calculator returns Cost Per Mille (CPM) of $8.00. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Ad spendminimum 0: 4,800
Impressions deliveredminimum 0: 600,000

Results

Cost Per Mille (CPM): $8.00
Impressions per Unit of Spend: 125.00
Spend per 1,000 impressions: $8.00
Impressions Needed to Justify Spend at Current Rate: 600,000

Step by step

1Values used
2Cost Per Mille
3Cost Per Mille (CPM)= 8.00
4Impressions per Unit of Spend= 125.00
5Spend per 1,000 impressions= 8.00
6Impressions Needed to Justify Spend at Current Rate= 600,000

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 2 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
This is an estimate for general information and not professional financial, tax or legal advice. See the full disclaimer for the limits that apply to this kind of calculator.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Cost Per Mille calculated?

Cost Per Mille (CPM) = Ad spend ÷ Impressions delivered × 1,000 Dividing spend by the number of impressions gives the unit economics of the channel scaled to a per-thousand basis as the metric is conventionally quoted. The reciprocal — impressions delivered per unit of currency — is shown alongside, because that is the figure to maximise when a budget is fixed.

Why does Cost Per Mille matter?

Unit cost is the only number that lets you compare channels with wildly different budgets, and it is the input every bid and budget decision ultimately rests on.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 2 inputs: Ad spend, Impressions delivered. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.