Customer Acquisition Cost Calculator
Find what you spend on average to win each new customer.
About the Customer Acquisition Cost Calculator
Enter marketing spend, sales costs (salaries, commissions and tools) and the number of new customers won in the same period. The calculator gives fully loaded CAC and marketing-only CAC.
Compare CAC with customer lifetime value: healthy businesses aim for LTV of at least 3× CAC and recover CAC within about 12 months.
The formula
CAC = (marketing + sales costs) ÷ new customers
Worked example
30,000 of marketing and 20,000 of sales costs won 250 customers
- Total: 50,000 ÷ 250 = 200 per customer
- Marketing only: 30,000 ÷ 250 = 120
Questions people ask
Should salaries be included?
For fully loaded CAC, yes; some report a paid-media-only CAC too.
What period should I use?
Match spend and customers in the same period, allowing for sales-cycle lag.
Should I work it out by channel?
Yes: blended CAC can hide a channel that loses money.