How much does cremation cost?

Cremation costs $1,300 to $6,280 in 2026. What changes your price is below.

The National Funeral Directors Association puts the national median for a funeral with viewing and cremation at $6,280, against $8,300 for a funeral with burial. Direct cremation, with no viewing or ceremony, usually runs about $1,300 to $3,200, with national averages near $1,900 to $2,300.

Estimate your cremation cost

Pick what you need and add your ZIP. The price updates as you go. Got a price already? Check it in the last step.

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A fair price is $1,300 to $3,200.

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Low$2,250High

Your estimateUS average

$1,300to$3,200

Middle of the range: $2,250

$0$2,160$4,320

Normal range Middle

What you are paying for

Direct cremationUS range for this job.$1,300 to $3,200

Average areaArea.Base price

US averageLocal prices not added yet.US price

Middle of rangeHalfway between low and high.$2,250

How we calculate this

Prices are for the United States in 2026 from published cost guides, checked September 2026. This is an estimate, not a quote.

Middle $2,250$1,300 to $3,200

Cost by type

Direct cremation	About $1,300 to $3,200, averages near $1,900 to $2,300.
Funeral with viewing and cremation	$6,280 national median (NFDA).
Funeral with viewing and burial	$8,300 national median.
Basic services fee	$2,495 national median.
Transfer to the funeral home	$395 median.

Is your quote fair?

Type the price you were quoted. We compare it to the usual 2026 range of $1,300 to $6,280.

Your quote in dollars

What pushes a quote up

Direct or with services	Viewing and ceremony add the most.
Embalming	Needed for many viewings, $845 median.
Urn	Can be bought separately.
Provider type	Direct cremation specialists often cost less.
Region	Prices vary widely by area.

Your right to an itemized price list

The Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule gives families the right to itemized, transparent pricing. You can ask any funeral home for its general price list, choose only the items you want, and bring your own urn or casket.

Cremation is now the most common choice. The NFDA projected a 63.4 percent cremation rate for 2025, against 31.6 percent for burial.

Direct cremation plus a memorial

Many families choose direct cremation and hold their own memorial later, which keeps the funeral home bill low.

How to judge the quote in your hand

Ask for the general price list.
Ask what the direct cremation price includes.
Ask about the basic services fee.
Ask if the urn is included.
Compare two providers.

Ways to pay less

Choose direct cremation and a separate memorial.
Buy the urn elsewhere.
Skip embalming if there is no viewing.
Compare price lists.

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More cremation price checks

The National Funeral Directors Association found a median of $6,280 for a funeral with viewing and cremation in its 2023 study. One 2026 estimate that adds funeral price growth puts it near $6,940 today.

Direct cremation is much less. Funeralocity data puts the average near $2,183. Online providers often list $995 to $1,595.

A direct cremation usually covers moving the body, paperwork, the cremation and a simple container for the ashes. It does not cover a viewing or a service.

Your rights under the Funeral Rule

The Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule says a funeral home must give you an itemized price list. You can buy only the items you want.

For cremation, the home must offer a simple container, like unfinished wood or cardboard. You do not have to buy a casket.

Call two or three homes and ask each to email its price list. Prices for the same service can differ by more than $1,000 in one city.