Billboards, bus ads, mail or car stickers? Local advertising prices compared (2026)
Real 2026 prices from transit rate cards, USPS, Canada Post and the sellers' own pages, side by side: what a local business pays for each format, and what's extra.
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For a local business in 2026, a king-size poster on one bus runs about $425 for 4 weeks in a mid-size US market, a static billboard is roughly $1,000 to $5,000 per 4 weeks outside the big metros, a postcard to every home on a mail route costs about 36 to 48 cents each, wrapping your own vehicle is $5,000 to $8,500 once, and Lunar is $500 a month for your sticker on 2 local cars. The bigger differences are what's extra (printing, production, install) and how long you're committed. Lunar publishes this page and is one of the options compared. Prices were checked on November 3, 2026, from the published rate cards and price pages named below.
At a glance
| Format | Example price | Extra costs | Commitment | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Static billboard (14' x 48') | $1,000 to $5,000 per 4 weeks, small and mid-size markets | Vinyl printing | Sold in 4-week periods | Billboards America marketplace estimate |
| Blip digital billboard | You bid per 8-second play; Blip's own example is about 4 cents a play | Your artwork | None; daily budget from $5 to $20 | Blip |
| King poster on one bus | $425 per 4 weeks (Yolobus, CA); $600 CAD net (TTC, Toronto) | Production, install | Per 4 weeks | Yolobus and Pattison media kits, 2026 |
| Full bus wrap | $4,250 per 4 weeks (Yolobus); $7,000 CAD (TTC Superbus) | Production, install, removal | TTC: 8-week minimum | Same |
| Bus bench | $150 a month for one bench (Laredo, TX) | A printed sign per bench | 6-month minimum | El Metro, Laredo |
| Every Door Direct Mail (US) | 26 cents postage per piece | Printing, about 10 to 22 cents a piece | 200-piece minimum per drop | USPS; Mailpro |
| Neighbourhood Mail (Canada) | 18.7 cents per piece up to 50 g | Printing | Per drop | Canada Post, March 2026 |
| Wrap your own vehicle | $5,000 to $8,500 for a full wrap, once | Replacement after a few years | None | FASTSIGNS, 2026 |
| Lunar | $500 a month for 2 cars; $1,500 for 7 | None: design and sticker included | 3 or 6 months | lunarcar.me/pricing |
Billboards
Billboard owners rarely publish prices. Billboards America's 2026 guide puts a 14' x 48' bulletin at $1,000 to $5,000 per 4 weeks in small and mid-size markets and $5,000 to $15,000 in large metros, for the space only; printing the vinyl is extra. Blip sells single 8-second plays on digital boards with no contract. Billboard costs in detail.
Bus ads and benches
Transit agencies and their ad contractors do publish rate cards. Yolobus near Sacramento charges $425 per 4 weeks for a king poster and $4,250 for a full wrap; Toronto's TTC, sold by Pattison, lists a king poster at $600 CAD net and a Superbus wrap at $7,000 CAD with an 8-week minimum. Production and install are almost always extra. A bench in Laredo, Texas is $150 a month with a 6-month minimum. Bus and bench ad costs in detail.
Neighbourhood mail
USPS Every Door Direct Mail lets you mail every address on a route without a mailing list: 26 cents postage per piece at retail, with a 200-piece minimum. Printing adds roughly 10 to 22 cents a postcard. Canada Post's Neighbourhood Mail is 18.7 cents per piece up to 50 g. Each drop reaches a home once. EDDM and Neighbourhood Mail in detail.
Wrapping your own vehicle
FASTSIGNS puts a full commercial wrap at $5,000 to $8,500 and a partial wrap at $1,000 to $2,000, installed. You pay once, and the vehicle carries your name wherever you drive it. Vehicle wrap costs in detail.
Lunar
Lunar puts your business's circle sticker on the doors of local drivers' cars, in the areas you set on a map. Half Moon is $500 a month for 2 cars, and Full Moon is $1,500 a month for 7. The sticker design is made for you and included, with nothing extra for printing or setup. Terms are 3 or 6 months, billed monthly, and a 6-month term is 10% off every month. Apart from the $50 deposit, nothing is charged until your first sticker is on a driver's car; the deposit counts toward your plan, or is refunded if no driver is matched in 7 days. Each sticker carries a QR code that sends people wherever you choose, and Lunar counts the scans. See pricing.
Which one fits your business
- One busy road or highway exit matters most: a billboard on it.
- Your customers ride transit, or you want a big moving canvas: bus ads, if you can cover production.
- You want every home on certain routes to get an offer this week: EDDM or Neighbourhood Mail.
- You already drive around your service area all day: wrap your own vehicle.
- You want your name seen around specific neighbourhoods every day, at a fixed monthly price with nothing to print: Lunar.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to advertise locally?
It depends on what you need. A one-time postcard to every home on a route is about 36 to 48 cents a piece with USPS EDDM. For ongoing presence, a bench is $150 a month in some cities with a 6-month minimum, and Lunar is $500 a month for your sticker on 2 local cars, design included.
Are billboard and bus ad prices all-in?
Usually not. Published billboard and transit rates are for the space; printing, production and install are listed separately or quoted on top. Toronto's TTC, for example, lists production next to each format.
Does Lunar charge for printing the sticker?
No. The sticker design is made for you and included, with nothing extra for printing or setup. Apart from the $50 deposit, nothing is charged until your first sticker is on a driver's car.
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