The cost of a funeral in Canada depends mostly on a few choices: burial or cremation, whether there is a viewing and a service through the funeral home, the casket or urn, and (for a burial) the cemetery. A direct cremation with no service is the least expensive arrangement; a traditional funeral with embalming, visitation, a casket and a burial plot is the most. This page explains each cost and how families keep the total down. It is part of our estate planning guide, and the sitewide list of cost guides is in what things cost in Canada.
Funeral homes publish or provide itemized price lists, and comparing two or three of them for the same arrangement is the most reliable way to see what a funeral will cost where you live.
The main types of arrangement
| Arrangement | What it includes | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|
| Direct cremation | Transfer, a basic container, cremation, return of the remains | Lowest |
| Direct burial | Transfer, a basic casket, burial without a viewing or service | Low, plus cemetery costs |
| Cremation with a memorial or funeral service | Direct cremation plus a service, possibly with a rental casket for a viewing | Moderate |
| Traditional funeral with cremation | Embalming, visitation, a funeral service, then cremation | Higher |
| Traditional funeral with burial | Embalming, visitation, a service, a casket, a vault or liner, and the cemetery | Highest |
What goes into the price
Funeral home services
A basic services fee (the funeral home’s overhead and arrangements), transfer of the body, embalming and preparation if there is a viewing, use of the facilities for visitation and the ceremony, and vehicles. Embalming is rarely required by law, so leaving it out is one of the larger savings when there is no open-casket viewing.
Merchandise
The casket is usually the single largest item in a traditional funeral, and prices run from simple wood or cloth-covered models to premium hardwood and metal. An outer burial container (required by some cemeteries), an urn for cremation, printed memorial items and flowers add to it. Caskets and urns can be bought from third-party sellers, which funeral homes generally must accept.
Cemetery costs
A burial adds the grave plot, opening and closing the grave, a headstone or marker, and in many provinces a care and maintenance fee set aside for the cemetery’s upkeep. Interment of cremated remains in a niche or plot has the same kinds of charges on a smaller scale.
Other costs
Copies of the death certificate (from the province), an obituary, a reception, and travel for family.
Why prices differ by province and city
Urban funeral homes and cemeteries generally cost more than rural ones, and plots in large-city cemeteries can be scarce. Provincial rules also shape prices: provinces regulate funeral and cemetery providers, the price lists they must give, and how prepaid money is held. Quebec has different traditions and rules from the rest of the country.
Ways families lower the cost
| Approach | Effect |
|---|---|
| Choosing direct cremation and holding a memorial separately | Removes most funeral home and cemetery charges |
| Comparing itemized price lists | Prices for the same services differ between providers |
| Leaving out embalming and a viewing | Removes preparation and visitation charges |
| A simpler casket, or one bought elsewhere | Lowers the largest merchandise cost |
| Holding the service at a place of worship, a community hall or home | Removes facility charges |
| A family-led celebration | Replaces paid ceremony services |
Prepaid funeral plans
A prepaid plan sets the arrangements in advance and pays for them now or in instalments.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Decisions made in advance, so the family doesn’t have to make them | Money is tied up, and some plans charge to cancel |
| Prices for the services covered may be locked in | Moving away may make the plan hard to use |
| Payments can be spread out | Without comparing providers, it may not be the best price |
Provinces regulate prepaid funeral and cemetery contracts, including holding the money in trust and cancellation rights. Before signing, it’s worth checking that the funds are held in trust, whether the plan transfers to another provider, the cancellation terms, and that the services are itemized.
Government help with funeral costs
The CPP death benefit is a one-time payment of $2,500 (up to $5,000 with the top-up for some contributors) to the estate or the person who paid for the funeral, if the deceased contributed enough to the CPP. Provincial social assistance programs help with funeral costs for people with low income or no estate, and veterans’ programs cover some funerals of former members of the forces. A surviving spouse’s other benefits are covered in finances after a spouse dies.
Planning ahead
Writing down your wishes (burial or cremation, a service or not, religious or cultural requirements), any plot or prepaid plan, and a rough budget saves the family hard decisions later. The will can record funeral wishes too, though they aren’t binding; see how to make a will. Life insurance is one way to leave money for funeral costs; see the life insurance guide. The other end-of-life cost families often plan for is care; see long-term care costs in Canada.
Related resources
Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources. How we check facts.
- Government of Canada: CPP: Death Benefit