What a funeral costs, and what goes into the bill

ASIC’s Moneysmart says funerals can cost from $8,000 to around $20,000, depending on the type of funeral you choose; the NSW Government says funerals in NSW cost on average between $5,000 and $8,000. What moves the total most is what you choose to include, where you are and which funeral director you use.

Please note General information, not financial advice. Prices can vary widely, and these figures are read from official pages as at October 2026. For a real figure, ask funeral directors for itemised written quotes.

$8,000 to about $20,000Australia-wide, by type of funeral. ASIC Moneysmart, as at October 2026.

$5,000 to $8,000Average in NSW. NSW Government, as at October 2026.

The two ranges come from different pages and neither page explains how its figure was worked out, so they are best read as a frame rather than a price. A quote that lists each item is what tells you what a particular funeral will cost.

The bill, line by line

Moneysmart lists the most common costs, and the NSW Government gives a similar list of what a funeral director’s quote may break down. Set out as an account, with who usually charges for each, they look like this.

The funeral director

Professional feesFuneral directorArranging and conducting the funeral, and hosting the service.
TransportFuneral directorIncluding the transport of the person who has died, and a hearse.
CoffinFuneral directorIn NSW and Victoria, a funeral director’s price list must show each coffin’s price or the price range.
Care and preparationFuneral directorStorage at a mortuary or holding room, and preparation for burial or cremation.

Paid on your behalf: disbursements

Death certificate and permitsDisbursementMoneysmart mentions permits such as for burial at sea or on private land. Victoria counts certificate and permit costs among a funeral provider’s disbursements.
Burial or cremation feesCemetery or crematoriumCharged by the cemetery or crematorium operator.
Cemetery plotCemeteryMoneysmart lists a cemetery plot among the most common costs.
Celebrant or clergyCelebrantThe NSW Government gives minister or celebrant fees as an example of a disbursement.

What you choose to add

FlowersYour choiceListed by Moneysmart among the other costs.
Death and funeral noticesYour choiceThe NSW Government lists newspaper notices in a typical quote.
The wakeYour choiceMoneysmart lists the wake too.

Disbursements are the fees a funeral director pays to others for you, such as cemetery or crematorium fees and the celebrant. In Victoria, a funeral provider’s price list must give a reasonable estimate of the certificate and permit costs, the burial or cremation fee charged by a third party, and the disbursements in its least expensive package.

Burial and cremation

There is no set cost for a burial, a cremation or the placement of ashes in NSW, and the state’s cemeteries agency says costs vary significantly across the state. Its fact sheet describes three main parts to a burial:

the interment right, which is the right to the grave and covers preparing and maintaining the site;
the burial fee, for opening and closing the grave and landscaping afterwards;
the memorial, such as a headstone or plaque, usually including the inscription and installation.

It lists extras that can be added on top, among them grave digging, a casket-lifting device, administration charges and late payment fees, and notes that burials and cremations often cost more on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Cremation costs depend on what happens to the ashes: they can be kept by the family, scattered, or placed in a niche with a plaque.

Simpler choices that cost less

A funeral can be as simple as you want it to be. Services Australia notes that it is not a legal requirement in Australia to have a funeral, although a burial or cremation is still needed. In NSW, there is also no legal requirement to use a funeral director.

The NSW Government describes two lower-cost options. Many funeral directors offer a “basic funeral”, sometimes called an economy or budget funeral, which generally includes arranging and conducting the funeral, transport, mortuary storage, preparation, the least expensive coffin, the required certificates or permits, and the burial or cremation. The least expensive choice is a “no service, no attendance” cremation or burial, where there is no ceremony and mourners do not attend.

Paying the bill

The NSW Government says most funeral directors require payment in full before the funeral. Moneysmart adds that some funeral providers offer payment plans, so it is worth asking if paying straight away will be difficult.

The money may come from more than one place. The bank may release money from the person’s account to help pay for the funeral, sometimes before probate. There may also be a prepaid plan, a funeral bond, an insurance policy or super; the comparison of the four ways to pay ahead explains each one. If money is very short, some states run funeral assistance programs, described on bereavement payments and support.

Comparing quotes is covered on choosing a funeral director, including one detail from Moneysmart: many funeral providers operate under the same parent company, so check you are really comparing different businesses.