Free tool · Funeral Costs & Paying
Cremation vs Burial Calculator
Compare what cremation and burial cost side by side. Funeral home prices start from the NFDA's 2023 national medians: $8,300 for a funeral with viewing and burial, and $6,280 for a funeral with viewing and cremation. Burial adds cemetery costs that cremation largely avoids, so enter your quotes for the plot, grave opening and marker to see the real gap.
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- Private: nothing you enter leaves your device
- Figures checked Sep 30, 2026
Your comparison
Pick the kind of arrangement you're weighing on each side. Replace any amount with a quote you've been given.
Estimated saving with cremation
$3,700
Cremation comes out lower by about this much with the figures you've entered. This is an estimate, rounded to the nearest $100.
- Burial total
- $9,995
- Cremation total
- $6,280
Not yet entered for burial: cemetery plot, opening and closing the grave, headstone or marker. Until you add them, the burial total is too low and the real gap is likely larger.
| Funeral home | $8,300 |
|---|---|
| Vault or grave liner | $1,695 |
| Cemetery plot | Not entered |
| Opening and closing the grave | Not entered |
| Headstone or marker | Not entered |
| Burial total | $9,995 |
| Funeral home or cremation provider | $6,280 |
|---|---|
| Niche, plot or marker for the ashes | None entered |
| Cremation total | $6,280 |
Funeral home figures start from NFDA 2023 General Price List Study national medians, or estimates built from them. Prices in your area may be higher or lower. Costs that are the same either way, such as flowers, an obituary, a reception and death certificates, are left out.
Where the prices come from
The funeral home prices in this calculator come from the National Funeral Directors Association's 2023 General Price List Study, the latest edition. NFDA published two totals: a median of $8,300 for a funeral with viewing and burial (casket included, no vault), and $6,280 for a funeral with viewing and cremation (cremation fee, container and urn included). A burial vault added $1,695 to the burial figure.
NFDA doesn't publish a total for the simpler options, so those are estimates. They add up the median price of each line the arrangement uses. Treat them as a starting point and replace them with a written quote.
| Arrangement | Pre-filled price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Viewing, funeral service, then burial | $8,300 | NFDA 2023 median total |
| Graveside service only | $5,924 | Estimate from NFDA line medians |
| Direct burial | $5,354 | Estimate from NFDA line medians |
| Viewing, funeral service, then cremation | $6,280 | NFDA 2023 median total |
| Cremation, then a memorial service | $4,489 | Estimate from NFDA line medians |
| Direct cremation | $3,744 | Estimate from NFDA line medians |
None of these figures include cemetery charges, cash advance items such as death certificates or flowers, or taxes. That is why the calculator has separate boxes for the plot, grave opening and marker.
Why burial usually costs more
The gap mostly comes from items that only burial needs:
- A cemetery plot and the fee to open and close the grave. Both vary a great deal by cemetery and city, so this calculator leaves them blank for you to fill in.
- A vault or grave liner. Many cemeteries require one. No state law does, so ask whether a simpler liner is allowed.
- A casket. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, no state or local law requires a casket for cremation, and funeral homes that offer cremation must offer an alternative container.
- A headstone or marker. Cremation only needs one if you bury the ashes or place them in a niche.
Cremation has costs of its own if you don't keep or scatter the ashes. A niche in a columbarium or a small plot for an urn is usually cheaper than a full grave, but the price depends on the cemetery. Add the quote in the ashes box.
Some costs can be cut either way. You can buy a casket or urn from another seller, and the funeral home can't refuse it or charge a handling fee. Compare General Price Lists from at least two providers, and see the funeral cost calculator for a line-by-line estimate.
What to weigh besides cost
- Faith and family wishes. Practices differ within every tradition. Many Orthodox Jewish and Muslim families choose burial, cremation is common in Hindu tradition, and many Christian denominations accept both. Ask your clergy or community if you're unsure.
- A place to visit. A grave gives family a fixed site. Ashes can be kept, buried, placed in a niche or scattered.
- Timing. With cremation the service doesn't have to happen right away, which gives far-away relatives time to travel.
- Scattering rules. The EPA requires ashes to be scattered at least three nautical miles from land at sea and asks you to report it within 30 days. Rules for land and inland water vary by state and owner. Check the ash scattering rules checker.
- Veterans. A veteran's burial in a VA national cemetery includes the gravesite or niche, opening and closing, and a government headstone or marker at no cost, for cremated remains as well as casketed ones. The family still pays for the funeral or cremation. That removes most of the cemetery gap, so check the VA burial benefits calculator before comparing.
Environmental impact is another reason families choose one or the other. We don't put a figure on it here because published estimates differ. The green funeral calculator covers the alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
Is cremation cheaper than burial?
Do you need a casket for cremation?
Is embalming required for burial or cremation?
How common is cremation in the US?
Can I scatter ashes anywhere?
Does the VA cover cremation?
Sources we checked
- 1.Statistics: cost, cremation and burial rates · National Funeral Directors Association
- 2.The FTC Funeral Rule · Federal Trade Commission
- 3.Burial at Sea · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- 4.Burial benefits · VA National Cemetery Administration
Please note: General information, not legal, financial or medical advice. Check the details with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Rules and prices change, so confirm anything important with the organization concerned. If you spot something out of date, tell us.
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