The high price of saying goodbye: Why funeral costs are rising and how to manage them

The cost of saying goodbye is climbing. Here are some alternatives to traditional burials — and what to do when you can't afford the expenses

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When Michele Treacy’s brother died suddenly of an aortic aneurysm in January 2025, she took on the responsibility of planning his funeral. The problem was he had left no will and had limited means. She had no clue what his final wishes were.

“We opted for cremation to save money,” said Treacy, a communications executive based in New Jersey. “I paid about $1,000 for the body storage, cremation and urn." The family will soon gather at her brother’s favorite beach in Florida to spread his ashes and say goodbye.

Like Treacy, more Americans are looking for dignified ways to put their loved ones to rest without breaking the bank as funeral costs rise. According to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), the median cost of an adult funeral with viewing and burial reached $8,300 in 2023, the most recent year information is available, up 5.8% from 2021. With a burial vault, the cost climbs to $9,995. Meanwhile, the average cost of a cremation with a viewing reached $6,280, up 8.1% over the same time period.

What’s behind higher funeral costs?

Daniel Ford $F, president of the NFDA and owner of Alderson-Ford Funeral Homes in Connecticut, explains that rising costs are being driven by the same forces squeezing practically every other industry in recent years. This includes higher gasoline costs, taxes and tariffs on vehicles and wood for caskets.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), most funeral homes structure their costs into three categories: basic service fees, merchandise and options, and cash advance items. Basic services include fees for planning the funeral, paperwork, storing the remains, coordinating with the crematory, cemetery, house of worship or other third parties. These fees are typically fixed and run about $2,000 to $3,000, depending on location.

Merchandise and options are where costs can quickly surge. This includes selections for caskets, urns, burial plots and vaults, with casket prices alone ranging from $2,000 for a basic model up to $10,000 or more for premium finishes.

Other services and merchandise might include embalming or other preparation,........

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