How much does a funeral cost?
July 2018In Australia, the average funeral cost is $4.000 if involves the basic cremation and up to $14.000 – $15.000 for a funeral with a casket, burial, and flowers. As with any customizable service, there are no fixed prices. Depending on each family’s needs and wishes, the costs may vary.
Since funerals are often sold as bundles, clients often don’t know exactly how much they are paying for each service. During a funeral, the family members are in a vulnerable emotional state and they don’t tend to pay attention to the expenses.
There’s a need for transparency, and that’s why we prepared a breakdown of all the costs implied.
1. The burial plot or cremation
One of the most important funeral costs is the burial plot, which may cost from $3.000 to $5.000, adding an opening fee – 1.485$. The price can be cheaper for plots where the cemetery land is not so scarce. The costs are also including the grave maintenance, and sometimes it may include the cost of the memorial plaque. A cremation costs around $4000.
2. The coffin or the casket
Depending on each family’s budget and preferences, it can cost from $1.000 to $15.000. The price is influenced by the materials’ quality, accessories, and personalization requirements.
3. The accessories and other extra services
A funeral is not about the flowers used to decorate the chapel or the booklets prepared for the participants. But they can help you organize a gorgeous last event, capture the deceased’s personality and touch the hearts of people who came to commemorate someone they loved or appreciated.
Depending on what extra services you will want, you will spend some extra budget.
- Flowers: starting from $100
- Funeral video: starting from $500
- Funeral booklets: starting from $1,30 each
- Funeral bookmarks: starting from 1,15 each
4. The funeral director
The Funeral Director charges a fee for professional services:
- Transfer of the deceased from the place of death
- Mortuary care and storage of remains
- Embalming
- The cosmetic preparation of the body
- Coordinating and making the arrangements with the chosen cemetery or crematorium
- Arranging a celebrant
- Registration of death & filing of any other necessary paperwork
- Guidance from professional staff
- Provision of all necessary staff and hearse on the day of the funeral
- Placement of death and funeral notices in newspapers
- Contracting flowers, caterers, musicians and other third-party services
- Placement of death and funeral notices in newspapers
- Contracting the funeral cars
The cost of collaborating with a funeral director may vary from $1.500 to $6.000, depending on the services needed.
As a general rule, this is how much a funeral can cost:
- Basic burial: $4.500
- Basic cremation: $4.000
- Elaborate funeral: up to $15.000
The overall price of a funeral may vary depending on the cities where it takes place. According to BudgetDirect, the most expensive city to hold a funeral from Australia is Perth, where the average cost is $7.764, followed by Sydney ($7.621), Melbourne ($7.586), Brisbane ($7.259), Adelaide ($6.657), Hobart ($6.508), and Canberra ($6.131).
Be strong!
