Costs of a Burial or Cremation

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Cost of a Funeral with a Burial
Costs of a Funeral with a Cremation

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Cost of a Funeral with a Burial

Funerals can be expensive. According to SunLife’s Cost of Dying 2026 Report, the average cost of a simple attended burial in 2025 was £4,758 and the average cost of a traditional attended burial was £5,440. This can vary considerably depending on the location of the burial ground or cemetery (the cost is substantially higher in London) and the type of service.

By the time you have accounted for other possible expenses, such as flowers, a coffin of your choice rather than a basic coffin, and the post-funeral gathering, the total cost can be far greater.

For the third year in a row, SunLife included the average cost of a direct burial in their report, which was £1,628. This is where the burial takes place without any family or mourners present.

Although there is no legal requirement to do so, the majority of people appoint a Funeral Director to arrange, co-ordinate and oversee most aspects of a funeral (see How to Appoint a Funeral Director). How much you wish them to take care of, and consequently their total costs and fees, is up to you. Some people choose a Funeral Director to just take care of the legal and more unfamiliar tasks (such as collecting and storing the body) and then organise transport, flowers, music, and production of the order of service, etc, themselves.

Other Possible Costs

the Funeral Director’s costs & fees, including disbursements (payments made on your behalf). These will vary (see above)
an Officiant (for example, a Celebrant, Vicar or Priest)
church fees (or place of worship)
coffin
transport
flowers
pallbearers
organist
musician or choir
printing of the order of service
announcement or notice of death
a post-funeral gathering
a burial plot*
the interment fee (the preparation of the burial plot)*
memorial masonry*
the placing of a headstone*
maintenance fees (for cutting the grass and insurance)*

* costs specific to a funeral with a burial

Researching Items in Advance

If you would like to research some of the items in advance, or get an idea of price, please visit the Providers section of whiteballoon or use the search facility above. For ideas and inspiration, please go to Inspiration or view the many beautiful photos on our Inspiration Wall.

Budget Planner in our Planning Tools section can help you to set a budget and keep track of costs.

Costs of a Funeral with a Cremation

Funerals can be expensive. According to Sunlife’s Cost of Dying 2026 Report, the average cost of a simple attended cremation in 2025 was £3,518 and the average cost of a traditional attended cremation was £4,200. A direct cremation (a cremation with no funeral) was £1,628. These costs can vary substantially depending on the location (even crematoria in the same area can vary) and the type of service.

By the time you have accounted for other possible expenses, such as flowers, a coffin or urn, and the post-funeral gathering, the cost can be far greater.

Although there is no legal requirement to do so, the majority of people appoint a funeral director to arrange, co-ordinate and oversee most aspects of a funeral (see How to Appoint a Funeral Director). How much you wish them to do, and consequently their total costs and fees, is up to you. Some people ask the funeral director to just take care of the legal and more unfamiliar tasks (such as collecting and storing the body) and then organise transport, flowers, music, and production of the order of service, etc themselves.

Other Possible Costs

the Funeral Director’s costs & fee, including disbursements (payments made on your behalf). These will vary (see above)
an Officiant (for example, a Celebrant, Vicar or Priest)
church fees (or place of worship)
coffin
transport
flowers
pallbearers
organist
musician or choir
printing of the order of service
memorial plaque
announcement or notice of death
a post-funeral gathering
cremation fees at a local crematorium*
doctor’s fee for Certificate of Medical Attendant (usually from the doctor who signed the MCOD)*
doctor’s fee for Confirmatory Medical Certificate (must be from a different doctor)*
interment of ashes, or scattering of ashes in a Garden of Remembrance (if required)**
collection of the cremated remains*

* costs specific to a funeral with a cremation

How Much Does it Cost to Repatriate a Body?

If the person who has died needs to be brought back to the UK, or taken to another country, there will usually be repatriation costs in addition to the funeral expenses. These can include specialist funeral director fees, transport, official paperwork and, in some cases, consular charges. Because every situation is different, it can be hard to give a simple answer to how much it costs to repatriate a body, but it is often a significant extra expense.

Some families also choose repatriation of ashes, for example taking ashes abroad to scatter them in a meaningful place or return them to a country that was important to the person. Costs for ashes repatriation are usually lower than for body repatriation, but there may still be charges for specialist courier services, advice on transporting ashes (UK and overseas) and any airline or customs requirements.

If you are considering repatriation of a body or ashes, it can be helpful to speak to a funeral director or specialist repatriation provider early on so that you can understand the likely costs and options before making decisions.