Phone us on 0808 169 4534 Open menu Home > Funeral Plans > How much does a funeral cost What is a Funeral Plan? How much does a funeral cost? Why do I need a Funeral Plan? How much does a funeral cost? The cost of a funeral is dependent on the type of funeral you wish to have, extras you’d like to include and where you live in the UK. The average cost of a basic funeral here in the UK is £4,4171, which is currently at an all-time high and has increased by 3.4% since 20182. What makes up the cost of a funeral? The cost of a funeral is made up of the fee for the funeral director’s services, as well as your choice of burial or cremation and the optional extras you choose. The funeral director’s services The majority of the cost of a funeral is usually for the funeral director’s services, averaging out at £2,6873. All Golden Charter plans are inclusive of the funeral director’s services and include advice on guidance for your loved ones, the coffin and an allowance towards third-party costs to help cover costs at the time of need. Burial or cremation? The second largest cost involved with funerals is usually the price for burial or cremation. Whilst this is a personal decision, your choice may be influenced by the cost. The average cost of a funeral with a cremation is £3,858, whilst the cost of a funeral with a burial is £4,9754. The cost of both burial and cremation has increased 3-4% in the last year, and as cremations are often the most affordable option, it’s no surprise that they’re on the rise, whilst we see the number of burials falling. Growing in popularity is the direct cremation option - basically a cremation with no funeral service or attendees - the cost of which has reduced by 5% to £1,626 in the last year5. Find out more about direct cremations and our Basic Plan Additional funeral costs The total cost of your funeral is also dependent on any additional extras you choose such as flowers, limousines, headstones, memorials or catering for the wake. Research tells us that these extras can cost on average £2,3066. We all want to give our loved ones the perfect send off, but bear in mind that these added extras are completely optional, and their costs may be higher or lower dependent on a number of factors, such as where you live in the UK7: Flowers £184 Catering £408 Order of Service £88 Venue Hire £245 Funeral Notice £82 Limousines £313 Memorial £910 Regional variations in funeral costs Just like the cost of living, the cost of dying can vary greatly depending on where you live in the UK. The people of Northern Ireland benefit from the lowest average funeral cost at £3,489, 21% lower than the national average*. At £3,871, funeral costs in Wales are also below the national average 8. You won't be surprised to hear that London is the most expensive place in the UK to organise a funeral, at £5,693 it's more than 35% above the national average. Average funeral costs in the UK regions 9: UK Region Average funeral cost London £5,963 South East / East of England £4,881 Yorkshire and Humber £4,656 East / West Midlands £4,582 South West England £4,522 Scotland £4,277 North East England £4,154 Wales £3,871 North West England £3,815 Northern Ireland £3,489 We offer a range of Funeral Plans that can fix the cost of the funeral director's services at today's prices, helping to save your family worry and expense at what can be a very difficult and stressful time. Many of our customers have told us that this can be a big weight off the mind. What next? We understand it can be hard to think about your funeral and you may not be sure where to start. Our friendly, UK-based advisers are here to help and can answer any questions you may have. Please call us free on: 0808 169 4534 Our call centre is available from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Compare our funeral plans Request Info Pack Substantiations 1 SunLife Cost of Dying Report, 2020 2 SunLife Cost of Dying Report, 2020 3 SunLife Cost of Dying Report, 2020 4 SunLife Cost of Dying Report, 2020 5 SunLife Cost of Dying Report, 2020 6 SunLife Cost of Dying Report, 2020 7 SunLife Cost of Dying Report, 2020 8 SunLife Cost of Dying Report, 2020 9 SunLife Cost of Dying Report, 2020 Here to help you on: 0808 169 4534 Get your quote Request Info Pack Follow us: Twitter Facebook YouTube LinkedIn Our Funeral Plans Useful Links Annual Reviews About Funeral Plans Our Policies Company & Partner Info Glasgow Office: Canniesburn Gate, 10 Canniesburn Drive, Glasgow G61 1BF Registered Office: One Fleet Place, London, EC4M 7WS No. 2511598 © 2021 Golden Charter. All Rights Reserved Privacy policy We use cookies We may place these for analysis of our visitor data, to improve our website, show personalised content and to give you a great website experience. For more information about the cookies we use open the settings. No, adjust Accept all