The question most online store owners actually ask
Not "how much does Google Ads cost" or "how much does Meta Ads cost" separately, but "what does the month cost if I run both". It's the right question, because an online store that wants serious results rarely gets there on a single channel. Google captures existing demand, Meta creates it. Together they cover the whole customer journey, from first contact to purchase.
The short answer: for a Romanian online store in 2026, a realistic combined monthly budget starts around 3,000-4,000 RON and rises, depending on ambition and margin, toward 15,000-30,000 RON or more. That includes media spend (the money that goes to the platforms) plus campaign management. Below we break down each part.
The two parts of the monthly cost
A paid media monthly budget always has two distinct parts. Many people confuse them, and the confusion leads to wrong expectations.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a month of Google Ads and Meta Ads together cost for an online store?
For a Romanian online store in 2026, a realistic combined monthly budget starts around 3,000-4,000 RON and rises toward 15,000-30,000 RON or more, depending on ambition and margin. The amount covers media spend (money going to the platforms) plus campaign management. Below 2,500-3,000 RON/month split across both channels, the budget risks being too thin on each.
How do I split the budget between Google Ads and Meta Ads?
For a mature online store, a practical split is 50-60% Meta (discovery and remarketing) and 40-50% Google (Shopping, branded Search, remarketing). Early on, it's often smarter to concentrate 70-80% on the channel that has already proven it works and 20-30% on the second as a test, then rebalance based on data.
Why run both channels instead of just one?
Because they complement each other. Meta creates demand and awareness, reaching people who aren't searching for you yet. Google captures existing demand, catching people already searching for your product. Meta fills the top of the funnel, Google harvests the bottom. If you stop Meta, branded search volume on Google drops too.
What minimum budget do I need to see results?
As a guide on the Romanian market: from around 1,500 RON/month for Google Ads to consistently exit the learning phase, and from around 1,000 RON/month per active ad set for Meta. Below these thresholds, algorithms don't get enough data to calibrate. If total budget is small, it's often better to be present seriously on one channel than weakly on two.
How do I know if the money spent on both channels is really worth it?
Don't rely on platform reports, because each claims the same sales and the aggregate cost per acquisition will look higher than reality. Track real sales in GA4 or your CRM. The business-level metrics are return on ad spend (ROAS) across the whole mix and total cost to acquire a new customer across both channels combined.
At DAFE Digital we build and manage your Google Ads and Meta Ads mix as one system, not two separate campaigns.
A combined budget only makes sense when both channels work together: Meta creates demand, Google captures it. We analyze cross-channel performance and move budget toward what produces the lowest cost per customer.

Adela Mincea
Performance Marketer · Fondatoare DAFE Digital · Formator ANC
Adela is a Performance Marketer with 10+ years of paid media across Europe, the US and Asia. She founded DAFE Digital in 2023 after agency roles in London and Hong Kong, in-house work inside client organisations, and independent consulting across 27+ industries.



