How much does a funeral cost?

The average funeral costs between $4,000 to $15,000, depending on your location, the type of service chosen, and any extras you include.

Key takeaways

  • A funeral typically costs between $4,000 and $15,000 in Australia.
  • Remember to consider the cost of a burial plot on top of funeral expenses.
  • Funeral payment options include insurance, prepaid plans, and funeral bonds.

What's the average cost of a funeral in Australia?

Typically, a funeral costs between $4,000 and $15,000 in Australia. The price can vary significantly depending on which service you choose and which features you include.

Funeral ExpenseStarting Price
No service cremation$3,800
Simple service cremation$7,500
Simple burial$6,600
Dual-service burial$7,200
Graveside burial$6,600

All services include the transfer, coffin, death certificate and the cremation fee and cremation certificate if applicable. Other services also include a hearse and celebrant, but not extras such as flowers, family cars, or newspaper notices. Remember, burial costs do not include the cost of the burial plot.

Funeral ExpenseStarting Price
Family limo$490
Funeral flowers$270
Orders of service$200
Memorial book$110
Thank you cards$80
Newspaper / online notice$310
Embalming$650
Temporary grave marker$190

The cost of cremation vs burial

Although the cost of a cremation funeral initially appears more expensive than a burial funeral, this is because burial pricing does not include the cost of a burial plot, ground preparation, internment, or ongoing maintenance fees.

Once these additional costs are taken into account, burials are almost always more expensive than cremations.

Funeral costs to consider

There are many costly elements associated with a funeral, including:

  • Funeral director fee
  • Transfer of the deceased
  • Funeral home fee
  • Preparation of the deceased
  • Death certificate
  • Embalming
  • Cremation certificate
  • Cremation permit
  • Cremation service
  • Burial services
  • Internment fees
  • Ground preparation
  • Burial plot
  • Graveyard maintenance fees
  • Celebrant
  • Hearse
  • Family cars
  • Flowers
  • Newspaper notices
  • Venue hire
  • Catering

Funeral payment options

If you want to pay for your own funeral in advance, you can consider:

  • Insurance - Funeral insurance and life insurance both pay out a lump-sum to your family when you die, so they can help cover the cost of your funeral.
  • Funeral bonds - Funeral bonds are an investment offered by a friendly society or life insurance company to allow you to set aside money to cover your funeral costs.
  • Pre-paid funerals - You can pre-pay, and pre-plan, your own funeral with a funeral director in your local area.
  • Superannuation - Your family may be able to use any money that's left in your super to pay for your funeral. However, it can take a while to access, so they might have to pay upfront first.

If you need to pay for the funeral of somebody else, you can consider:

  • Payment plan - Many funeral directors offer payment plans so you can spread the cost of a funeral over many months.
  • Personal loan - A low-interest loan can help you cover the cost of a funeral, but make sure you can comfortably meet the repayments.
  • Local health district - You can apply for help if you're responsible for a funeral but are in financial hardship, but any assistance will only be provided after the funeral.
  • Government benefits - You may be eligible for a bereavement payment if your partner dies, and you both receive a government allowance or carer's allowance.
  • Department of Veteran Affairs - If the deceased is a veteran, you may be able to get help with funeral expenses from the Australian Government Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA).
  • Registered clubs - Some associations, including the Rotary Club and the Returned and Services League (RSL), may pay a funeral benefit to help with the cost of a member's funeral.

FAQs

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Senior writer

Nicola Middlemiss is a contributing writer at Finder, with a special interest in personal finance and insurance. Formerly a business and finance journalist, Nicola has written thousands of articles helping Australians better understand insurance and grow their personal wealth. She has contributed to a wide range of publications, including Domain, the Educator, Financy, Fundraising and Philanthropy, Insurance Business, MoneyMag, Mortgage Professional, Yahoo Finance, Your Investment Property, and Wealth Professional. Nicola has a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Leeds. See full bio

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