How Much Does Cremation Cost?
Cremation costs depend on the type of service you choose, where you live, and which provider you use. PriceOfCremation.com explains what providers charge for, helps you compare options and quotes, and gives you tools to plan a budget. There’s no sign-up and no pressure.
Source: National Funeral Directors Association, 2023 General Price List Study. These are medians of funeral home price lists, not quotes, and they exclude items such as a cemetery plot, monument, flowers, and obituary. The cremation figure includes an alternative container and an urn.
Find Local Cremation Costs
We publish cremation cost guides for 500+ cities in all 50 states. Search by city, state, or ZIP code. If we don’t have a page for your city, we’ll point you to your state’s guides.
Local price ranges on our city pages are general estimates. For actual prices, ask each provider for its General Price List. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, funeral homes must give you itemized prices, including over the phone if you ask.
Compare Cremation Service Options
“Cremation” can mean very different services. The biggest cost difference is usually whether there is a viewing, a ceremony, or embalming.
| Service type | What it usually includes | Common additional charges | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct cremation | Transfer of the body, basic services of staff, a cremation container, the cremation itself, and return of the cremated remains in a temporary container. No viewing or ceremony with the body present. | Death certificates, permits or medical examiner fees, extra mileage, refrigeration, urn, obituary | Lowest |
| Cremation with memorial service | Direct cremation, followed by a memorial or celebration of life (with or without the urn present) at the funeral home, a place of worship, or elsewhere. | Facility and staff for the service, printed materials, flowers, reception, urn | Moderate |
| Cremation with viewing or visitation | A private family viewing or public visitation before cremation. Often requires embalming or other preparation, plus a rental or cremation casket. | Embalming or preparation, rental casket, facility and staff for the viewing | Higher |
| Traditional funeral followed by cremation | Viewing, a funeral ceremony with the body present, and cremation afterward, similar to a traditional funeral. | Embalming, casket (rental or purchase), hearse or service car, ceremony staff, printed materials | Highest |
Service names and bundles vary by provider. You have the right to buy only the goods and services you want. Providers that offer cremation must make an alternative container available, and they can’t charge you for using an urn you bought elsewhere. What’s included in a basic cremation · Additional cremation costs
Plan Your Cremation Budget
Free planning tools that work in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to us or to anyone else.
Cremation Cost Calculator
Enter prices from a provider’s price list and get an itemized, printable estimate of the total.
Calculate your budget →Provider Comparison Worksheet
Put up to three providers’ quotes side by side, line by line, and see the totals.
Compare provider quotes →Urn Size Calculator
Estimate the minimum urn capacity for an individual or companion urn.
Find an appropriate urn size →Cremation Planning Checklist
A step-by-step checklist from the first calls to final disposition. It saves in your browser.
Open the checklist →Cremation Costs by State
Choose a state to see our local cremation cost guides, and learn how costs and requirements can differ from place to place.
Cremation Planning Resources
Required paperwork
Death certificates, permits, and the documents a crematory needs before cremation.
Read the guide →Choosing a provider
How to check licensing, request prices, and compare cremation providers.
Read the guide →Understanding costs
What drives the price of cremation, and which fees are optional.
Read the guide →Planning a memorial
You can still hold a funeral or memorial service with cremation. Here are your options.
Read the guide →Choosing an urn
Urn sizes, materials, and types for keeping, burying, or scattering remains.
Read the guide →Urns and Memorial Products
If you’re choosing an urn, keepsake, or memorial item, our buying guides explain sizes, materials, and what to check before you buy.
- How to choose a cremation urn
- Cremation jewelry and keepsake urns
- Scattering urns and biodegradable urns
- Memorial service supplies checklist
Buying tip
You don’t have to buy an urn from your funeral home. The FTC Funeral Rule says a provider can’t refuse to use an urn you bought elsewhere, or charge you a fee to do so.
Our product guides contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cremation Costs
What is the cheapest type of cremation?
Direct cremation is usually the least expensive option, because it has no viewing, no embalming, and no ceremony with the body present. Prices still vary widely between providers in the same area, so compare General Price Lists from more than one provider.
What does a direct cremation price usually include?
It usually includes transfer of the body, the provider’s basic services, a simple cremation container, the cremation, and return of the remains in a temporary container. Death certificates, permits, extra mileage, and an urn are often charged separately. Ask for an itemized list.
Is embalming required for cremation?
No state requires embalming for every death, and a provider can’t require embalming for a direct cremation. Some providers require it if you choose a public viewing. Some states require embalming or refrigeration if the body isn’t cremated or buried within a certain time.
Do I have to buy a casket for cremation?
No. A funeral provider that offers cremation must tell you that alternative containers, such as unfinished wood or pressed wood, are available, and must make them available to you.
Can I get cremation prices over the phone?
Yes. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, funeral homes must give you price information by phone if you ask. You don’t have to give your name, address, or phone number first.
Is cremation cheaper than burial?
Usually, yes. In NFDA’s 2023 study, the median funeral with viewing and cremation cost $6,280, compared with $8,300 for a funeral with viewing and burial. The burial figure doesn’t include cemetery costs such as a plot, vault, or headstone. Direct cremation is typically less than either.
How many death certificates will I need?
It depends on how many institutions need a certified copy: for example, banks, life insurers, pension administrators, vehicle and property records, and government agencies. Many families order several. Fees are set by the state or county.
How We Work
We don’t run a funeral home or rank providers. Our guides explain costs and consumer rights so you can compare providers yourself.
We say where figures come from. City price ranges are estimates, not provider quotes. Our pricing methodology
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Page last updated: September 30, 2026. General information only, not legal or financial advice.