Funeral Expenses: The Breakdown
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04.16.2025 | Category: Costs and Calculators
Funerals can be expensive, whether they involve burial or cremation.
According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the median cost of a funeral In 2023 with viewing, burial and a burial vault (vaults are typically required by a cemetery) was $9,995.
And that doesn’t include what you’ll pay for options like a grave marker, cemetery fees, flowers or an obituary, out-of-pocket expenses that can easily add up to thousands more dollars.
Here’s a breakdown of the funeral costs of both a viewing with burial and a viewing with cremation as provided by the National Funeral Directors Association.
Median National Cost of Adult Funeral with Viewing and Burial
| Item | In 2023 |
|---|---|
| Nondeclineable basic services fee | $2,495 |
| Removal/transfer of remains to funeral home | $395 |
| Embalming | $845 |
| Other preparation | $295 |
| Use of facilities/staff for viewing | $475 |
| Use of facilities/staff for funeral ceremony | $550 |
| Hearse | $375 |
| Service car or van | $175 |
| Printed materials | $195 |
| Subtotal without casket and vault | $5,800 |
| Metal burial casket | $2,500 |
| Vault | $1,695 |
| Total with vault and casket | $9,995 |
Median National Cost of Adult Funeral Viewing and Cremation
| Item | In 2023 |
|---|---|
| Nondeclineable basic services fee | $2,495 |
| Removal/transfer of remains to funeral home | $395 |
| Embalming | $845 |
| Other preparation | $295 |
| Use of facilities/staff for viewing | $475 |
| Use of facilities/staff for funeral ceremony | $550 |
| Service car or van | $175 |
| Printed materials | $195 |
| Cremation fee | $400 |
| Subtotal without cremation casket and urn | $5,825 |
| Alternative cremation container | $160 |
| Urn | $295 |
| Total with cremation casket and urn | $6,280 |
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