---
title: Customer acquisition cost (CAC)
description: Customer acquisition cost (CAC) calculates the total expense required to acquire a new customer, including media spend, technology, and labour.
---

[B2B marketing glossary ](https://mixology-digital.com/glossary)

# [Customer acquisition cost (CAC)](https://mixology-digital.com/glossary/cac)

 Written by [Mixology Digital](https://mixology-digital.com/glossary/author/mixology-digital) | Nov 14, 2025 11:55:01 AM

Customer acquisition cost (CAC) calculates the total expense required to acquire a new customer, including media spend, technology, and labour. It’s one of the most important metrics in evaluating marketing efficiency.

In B2B marketing, CAC is typically assessed alongside [customer lifetime value (CLV)](https://mixology-digital.com/glossary/clv) to determine sustainability. A favourable CAC:CLV ratio indicates scalable growth, while an inflated ratio suggests overspending or misaligned targeting.

Monitoring CAC by channel and campaign type helps leadership align marketing investment with business profitability.

[View full post](https://mixology-digital.com/glossary/cac)

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