The basics
How Much Does a Funeral Cost in 2026? Burial, Cremation and the Costs People Miss
A funeral with burial has a median cost of $8,300, and with cremation $6,280 (NFDA). What's included, what's not, and how to keep costs down.
Reviewed by Brian Carrozzi
Founder, RestAssured ยท Licensed life insurance agent
Updated · How we write and review
Short answer: The most recent national figures from the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) put the median cost of a funeral with a casket and burial at $8,300, and a funeral with cremation at $6,280. Those are 2023 figures, the latest NFDA has published. They leave out cemetery costs, a headstone or marker, and “cash advance” items like flowers and obituary notices. Depending on where you live and what you choose, the total can be noticeably higher or much lower.
How much does a funeral cost in 2026?
NFDA surveys its member funeral homes every two years. Its latest General Price List Study found:
| Type of funeral | National median cost | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Funeral with viewing and burial | $8,300 | Funeral home services, viewing and a casket; not cemetery costs, marker or cash advances |
| Funeral with viewing and cremation | $6,280 | Funeral home services, viewing, cremation fee, an alternative cremation container and an urn |
Source: NFDA 2023 General Price List Study, released December 2023.
NFDA also reported that the median burial funeral rose 5.8% over two years, while overall inflation over that period was 13.6%. Prices in 2026 may be somewhat higher, and they vary a lot from one area and one funeral home to the next. The only way to know what you’ll pay is to get price lists from local funeral homes.
What isn’t included in the “average” funeral cost?
This is where many families are surprised. NFDA says its medians exclude:
- Cemetery costs: the burial plot or crypt, opening and closing the grave, and a grave liner or outer burial container if the cemetery requires one
- A headstone, marker or monument
- Cash advances: items the funeral home buys from others on your behalf, such as flowers, obituary notices, clergy or musicians
The FTC’s funeral pricing checklist also lists perpetual care fees among cemetery costs. If you’re planning a burial, ask the cemetery for its prices separately from the funeral home’s.
What’s on a funeral home’s price list?
The FTC requires funeral homes to give you a General Price List that you can keep. Here’s what you’ll typically see:
| Item | What it is | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Basic services fee | Planning, permits, death certificates, coordinating with the cemetery or crematory | Charged for services common to all funerals |
| Transfer of remains | Bringing the deceased to the funeral home | Needed in most cases |
| Embalming | Preservation for a viewing | No state law requires routine embalming |
| Other preparation | Dressing, cosmetology | Optional |
| Viewing / visitation | Use of the facility and staff | Optional |
| Funeral or memorial service | Use of the facility and staff for a ceremony | Optional |
| Hearse and other vehicles | Transportation to the service and cemetery | Optional |
| Casket | The FTC notes the average casket costs a little more than $2,000, with some over $10,000 | You can buy one elsewhere |
| Outer burial container (vault or liner) | Surrounds the casket in the grave | Some cemeteries require one, so ask the cemetery |
| Cremation container | A simple container for cremation | No law requires a casket for cremation |
Sources: FTC Funeral Rule; FTC funeral costs and pricing checklist.
Burial vs. cremation: which costs less?
Cremation is usually less expensive. In NFDA’s study, the median funeral with cremation cost about $2,000 less than one with burial, and cremation avoids most cemetery costs unless you choose to bury the urn or place it in a columbarium.
Cremation is also now the most common choice. NFDA’s 2025 Cremation & Burial Report projected a U.S. cremation rate of 63.4% for 2025, compared with 31.6% for burial.
The least expensive options are usually:
- Direct cremation: cremation shortly after death, with no embalming or viewing. A memorial can be held later, anywhere.
- Immediate burial: burial shortly after death in a simple container, with no viewing.
Funeral homes that offer these must list them on their price list.
Your rights under the FTC Funeral Rule
The FTC Funeral Rule protects you whether you’re planning ahead or arranging a funeral after a death:
- Get prices by phone. Funeral homes must give you price information over the phone if you ask.
- Get a written price list in person, and keep it.
- Buy only what you want. You don’t have to accept a package.
- Use a casket or urn from somewhere else. The funeral home can’t refuse it or charge a fee for using it.
- Skip embalming when you choose direct cremation or immediate burial. No state law requires routine embalming for every death.
- Use a simple container for cremation. No law requires a casket.
- Get an itemized statement of everything you selected, with each price and the total, before you pay.
How to lower the cost of a funeral
- Compare at least two funeral homes. The FTC recommends it, and prices for the same services can differ widely.
- Call for prices. It’s your right, and it saves driving around during a hard week.
- Decide on burial or cremation early. It’s the biggest cost decision.
- Skip what you don’t want: embalming, a second day of viewing, or extra vehicles.
- Shop for the casket or urn separately.
- Check benefits. Social Security pays a one-time $255 death payment to an eligible surviving spouse (or certain children if there’s no spouse); apply within 2 years. Veterans may qualify for VA burial benefits. See VA life insurance and burial benefits for Veterans.
- Write down your wishes. Families who know what you want are less likely to overspend.
How do families pay for a funeral?
Most families use some combination of savings, help from relatives, and life insurance. A small whole life policy meant for funeral costs is called final expense or burial insurance. The death benefit goes to your beneficiary, who can use it for the funeral or any other bill. Learn more in What Is Final Expense Insurance?, and see Cheapest Life Insurance for Seniors Over 70 and 75 for what drives the price.
When you choose a coverage amount, start from your local funeral home’s prices, then add cemetery costs, a marker and a cushion for final bills.
The bottom line
A typical funeral costs several thousand dollars: a median of $8,300 with burial and $6,280 with cremation in NFDA’s latest study, before cemetery costs and extras. Knowing your rights, comparing prices and choosing the options you really want can lower that a lot.
If you’d like help putting a plan in place to cover those costs, a licensed agent can walk you through your options with no obligation. Here’s how our free agent service works.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a funeral cost on average?
According to the National Funeral Directors Association’s 2023 study, the median cost of a funeral with casket and burial was $8,300, and a funeral with cremation was $6,280. Those figures leave out cemetery costs, a marker and cash advances, which can add a significant amount.
Is cremation cheaper than burial?
Usually, yes. NFDA’s median for a funeral with cremation ($6,280) was about $2,000 less than one with burial ($8,300), and cremation avoids most cemetery costs unless you choose to bury or place the urn in a cemetery.
What is the cheapest way to have a funeral?
Direct cremation or immediate burial, with no embalming, viewing or ceremony at the funeral home, is generally the least expensive option. The FTC requires funeral homes to list these options and their prices on their General Price List.
Does Social Security pay for funerals?
Not directly. Social Security pays a one-time $255 lump-sum death payment to an eligible surviving spouse, or to certain children if there is no spouse, and you must apply within 2 years of the death.
Can a funeral home make me buy their casket?
No. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, a funeral home cannot refuse to handle a casket or urn you bought somewhere else, and it can’t charge you a fee for using it.
Sources
- NFDA: 2023 General Price List Study (released Dec. 8, 2023)
- NFDA: 2025 Cremation & Burial Report (released Oct. 6, 2025)
- FTC: The FTC Funeral Rule
- FTC: Funeral costs and pricing checklist
- Social Security Administration: Lump-sum death payment
This article is for general education. Policy features, prices and eligibility vary by insurance company and state; your agent will explain the specific terms of any policy before you apply.