Costs

The cost of a funeral is made up of many component parts, not all of which are essential, and each component has a range of pricing options.  Finding the lowest cost option for you, first requires decisions to be made about the minimum funeral requirements you have.

Cost components of a funeral:

  1. Type of service - the simpler the service the cheaper it will be ... more information
  2. Cemetery or crematoria charge - cremation is generally cheaper than burial but the prices can vary considerably both between sites and within the site. Burial in a lawn area is cheaper than a grave with lots of monumentation. 
  3. Funeral Director Professional service charge - you should not feel embarassed about getting a quote or 'shopping around'  ... more information
  4. Press notices, death certificate, and other fees - usually organised by the funeral director and charged along with other set costs such as the cemetery and clergy, as disbursements
  5. Coffin or casket - it really pays to shop around for a coffin because there is great variation in the cost ... more information
  6. Clergy or celebrants
  7. Flowers or other tributes ... more information 
  8. The wake
  9. Memorial - often organised after the funeral but can be very expensive ... more information
NSW written quotes

Since 1 February 2009 funeral directors in NSW must provide a written quote. The new rules make it easier to compare quotes so if you have a quote, please tell us about it so we can start to compare.

NSW Basic Funerals?

NSW funeral directors can offer a basic funeral package (see policy page). Funeral Comparsions has no knowledge at this stage (June 2009) of any basic funerals being offered but as information becomes available we will advertise it here.  

Cheapest funeral

The cheapest funerals (eg 'Paupers' funerals paid for by the State, and funerals where no mourners are present and there is no service) do not meet most people's needs. Assuming there are funds to pay for the funeral and mourners are present,  a cremation with a simple ceremony (perhaps as a memorial service in the local church) and the cheapest coffin is probably the most cost effective form of funeral. If a burial is required, a simple graveside burial run by the family and the cheapest coffin is likely to be the most cost effective. With burial, finding the cheapest gravesite is an important factor in keeping prices down because the cost of graves or rights of burial varies considerably.

'No Funeral, No Flowers, No Fuss' www.nonono.com.au advertise a basic cremation or burial (not including the burial fees) for $2,600. Let us know how this compares.

Your comments (below) will help others find the cheapest but adequate cremation or burial

Post your comment

Comments

  • Rookwood Crematorium is privately run for profit. Most cemeteries will bury ashes in a garden for a more reasonable price.

    Posted by Website Administrator, 29/03/2010 7:19pm (4 months ago)

  • I recently contacted Rookwood crematorium to place ashes at a rose in their Rose Garden, and was asked a cool$5,896 to inter the ashes and erect a small concrete plinth with a small inscription , and on top of that to add insult to injury $260 for wittness fee tp see the ashes interred ? am I being ripped off or am I just stingy. JIm

    Posted by Jim, 29/03/2010 7:07pm (4 months ago)

  • We had a family member's body transfered recently from Bundaberg to MIles approx 400km.The funeral home charged us $1350.00.Can anyone tell us if this is the normal fee.

    Posted by Lynley , 28/08/2009 2:50am (11 months ago)

  • Hello, I became aware of your work and the website through listening to the Radio National Program last week. I think the work you have undertaken, and stored on your website, making it universally available to all interested parties, is excellent and I simply want to say well done. In my view it's time that the costs and products associated with the funeral industry are discussed openly in our society, and your website will no doubt continue to grow as a valuable resource; and I hope set some new trends in affordable funerals, and foster a sense that of doing the best for our deceased loved ones should and can be addressed both sensibly and sensitively. Well done.

    Posted by Radio National listener, 20/08/2009 2:54am (12 months ago)

  • Used Bayside Funerals in Mango Hill Qld for my mums funeral, they were great and honest in their charges.

    Posted by Gayle Adams, 29/07/2009 11:20pm (1 year ago)

  • Following a still-birth in our family we were very heartened to discover that William Cole Funerals in Canberra do not charge for funerals for babies (under 6 months?) or still-births. The only costs were the cemetry and flowers. This was a great help to our daughter and son-in-law in their grief.

    Posted by Ann Ingwersen, 09/07/2009 7:54pm (1 year ago)

  • I notice that crematoria costs include chapel hire. If no service or memorial is required shouldn't the cost of chapel hire be deducted? Bit of a rip off if not.

    Posted by bev weate, 27/06/2009 11:29pm (1 year ago)

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