About the Funeral Cost Calculator
Funeral costs vary widely with the choices a family makes. A traditional funeral with viewing and burial includes the funeral home’s basic services fee, embalming, the ceremony, a casket, a burial vault and cemetery charges for the plot, opening and closing the grave and a headstone. A cremation with a memorial service drops the casket and cemetery costs, and a direct cremation with no ceremony is usually the least expensive option.
This calculator lets you enter each line item from a funeral home’s price list and instantly compares the total for burial, cremation with a service and direct cremation. Default amounts are ballpark US figures meant as a starting point — replace them with local quotes, which funeral homes must give you in an itemized General Price List under the FTC Funeral Rule.
If you are planning ahead for yourself or a parent, enter how many years away the need is, an inflation rate for funeral prices and any money already set aside. The calculator projects the future cost and the monthly amount to save so the money is there when it is needed.
With the default inputs, the estimated cost today is $16,180.00. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the funeral cost calculator
- 1Choose burial, cremation with a service or direct cremation.
- 2Replace the default line items with prices from a funeral home’s General Price List.
- 3Add flowers, obituary notices, death certificates and any reception.
- 4For pre-planning, enter the years until needed, an inflation rate and any savings.
- 5Compare the three totals and read the monthly amount to set aside.
Formula and method
The estimate adds up the line items that apply to the chosen arrangement: all funeral home, merchandise and cemetery charges for burial; services, crematory fee and urn for cremation with a service; and the package price, urn and extras for direct cremation. All three totals are shown so you can compare them with the same prices.
For pre-planning, today’s total is grown by the funeral price inflation rate g for Y years. Money already saved grows monthly at the savings rate i for n = 12Y months, and the remaining gap is spread over those months with the future-value-of-annuity formula (deposits at the end of each month). With zero years, the gap is simply due now.
- g
- Yearly funeral price inflation
- Y
- Years until the funeral is expected
- S
- Money already set aside
- i
- Monthly return on savings (annual ÷ 12)
Worked examples
Traditional funeral and burial, planned 10 years ahead
Services, embalming, ceremony, a $2,500 casket, vault and cemetery charges come to $16,180 today. At 3% funeral inflation that becomes about $21,745 in 10 years, which you can fund by saving about $148 a month at 4%.
Cremation with a memorial service in 5 years
Cremation with a service costs $7,430 at these prices. In five years that is about $8,613; with $2,000 already saved and growing at 4%, setting aside roughly $93 a month closes the gap.
Direct cremation needed now
A $2,000 direct cremation package, a $300 urn and $1,000 of extras total $3,300, due immediately — the least expensive of the three options.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a funeral cost?+
A full-service funeral with viewing and burial commonly runs about $8,000 to $10,000 at the funeral home before cemetery costs such as the plot, opening and closing, and headstone, which can add several thousand dollars more.
Is cremation cheaper than burial?+
Usually, yes. Cremation avoids the casket, burial vault and most cemetery charges. Direct cremation without a viewing or ceremony is typically the lowest-cost option a funeral home offers.
Do funeral homes have to give me prices?+
Yes. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, US funeral homes must give you an itemized General Price List, let you buy only what you want, and accept a casket or urn you bought elsewhere without charging a handling fee.
How can I pay for a funeral in advance?+
Common options are a payable-on-death savings account, a small final-expense life insurance policy or a preneed contract with a funeral home. A savings account keeps you in control if you move or change plans.
Does Social Security pay for funerals?+
Social Security pays a one-time lump-sum death payment of $255 to an eligible surviving spouse or child. Veterans may also qualify for VA burial benefits, including a burial allowance and a free headstone.
Results are estimates for educational purposes and are not financial advice. Rates, fees and terms vary — confirm with your lender or a licensed advisor before making decisions.