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Customer Economics CALCULATOR

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) Calculator

Estimate acquisition cost per new customer from marketing and sales spend. Count customers acquired in the same scope and period as the spend.

Free to useFormula explainedScenario friendly
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) CalculatorDecision support
INPUTSDefined
MODELVisible
OUTPUTInstant
AssumptionsCalculationResult
Quick answer

Estimate acquisition cost per new customer from marketing and sales spend. Count customers acquired in the same scope and period as the spend.

Enter your inputs
RESULT
Calculated output
0

200 is the example result. Customer acquisition cost needs newly acquired paying customers as its population. Counting unqualified form submissions answers a different question.

Result = (([Marketing and sales spend]) ÷ ([New customers]))
Purpose

Estimate acquisition cost per new customer from marketing and sales spend. Count customers acquired in the same scope and period as the spend.

Check the cost of a new customer

CAC (customer acquisition cost) divides the entered spend by new customers. It is different from cost per lead or booking because those events may never become paying customers.

When to use this result

Use this during a channel review or hiring decision. Record which costs are included and compare the resulting CAC with customer contribution and the time required to recover it.

Check before you act

Do not mix all-company spending with customers from one campaign. The result cannot establish incrementality or resolve a long delay between spend and acquisition.

Example with the supplied inputs

Marketing and sales spend: 20000; New customers: 100. Result: 200. The values are illustrative.

Compare one changed input

Marketing and sales spend changes from 20000 to 22000. The result becomes 220. All other inputs remain fixed.

Calculation rule

Formula

Result = (([Marketing and sales spend]) ÷ ([New customers]))

Inputs and output

Example inputs and entry conventions
Input Example value Entry convention
Marketing and sales spend 20000 Use marketing and sales spend on the currency and period basis shown by the formula. Keep gross amounts, net amounts and unit amounts distinct; the page does not fetch a price or exchange rate.
New customers 100 Use the source quantity represented by new customers. Keep the counted population fixed and avoid mixing a unit value with a period total.

Output: 200 is the example result. Customer acquisition cost needs newly acquired paying customers as its population. Counting unqualified form submissions answers a different question. Use the formula to distinguish a cash amount, count, percentage or ratio.

How to use the page

STEP 01

Collect the inputs

Gather Marketing and sales spend, New customers. Use one period and the units shown in the form.

STEP 02

Run the calculation

Enter the values and select the action. The calculation rule above explains how the inputs produce the result.

STEP 03

Compare a scenario

Change Marketing and sales spend on its own, keeping the other inputs fixed. Read both results before changing another assumption.

Worked example

With the example inputs listed above, the result is 200.

Change Marketing and sales spend from 20000 to 22000 while keeping every other value fixed. The result becomes 220. This comparison isolates that input; it does not forecast how other variables will respond.

Check the stated formula, units and limits before using the result in a decision.

Calculation and source notes

Keep the displayed formula, input units and model scope with the result. Corrections or questions can be sent through the request section on this page.

Content updated: October 11, 2026
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BROWSE THE CATEGORY

See every calculator in Customer Economics.

Use the category page when you need the wider library, including related subcategories and focused models attached to this area of work.

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CONTEXT RESOURCES

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SERVICES

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