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13 PRICES TRACKED

Direct cremation (no service)

The simplest, cheapest option: cremation with no ceremony, ashes returned to the family. Prices run from a few hundred dollars to several thousand for the same thing.

$1,500median paid
$1,770median list
$695lowest
$4,000highest
5.8×spread

Read the full guide: direct cremation costs explained →

Every price we track (hover a dot)

List priceActually paid
$497$1,731$2,964$4,198list med $1,770paid med $1,500List priceActually paid

The gap: advertised vs actually paid (medians)

List price (advertised)$1,7709 prices
↓$270 less
Actually paid (reported)$1,5003 prices

People reported paying 15% less than the advertised list price for direct cremation.

List price$1,770Actually paid$1,500

List prices are advertised prices; paid figures are what people reported, often for different cases. Treat the gap as a signal, not a quote.

Quoted vs actually paid (real submissions)

The strongest signal there is: what one person was quoted, and what the same job actually cost them.

  • quoted $695↔paid $6950%

    AgingCare forum (SandyDory, Sept 2020), central Florida crematory, family collected the ashes

    Anon · Florida · 2020

  • quoted $2,500↔paid $2,5000%

    AgingCare forum, poster's father, cremation plus an urn

    Anon · US unspecified · 2019

YearRegionProviderWhat it wasListPaidSrc
2020FloridaUnknownDirect cremationAgingCare forum (SandyDory, Sept 2020), central Florida crematory, family collected the ashes—$695quoted $695source
2026ArizonaIndependentDirect cremationTulip Cremation (low-cost online provider) simple direct cremation starting price, Arizona$995—source
2026CaliforniaIndependentDirect cremationCalifornia Cremation & Burial (San Diego, CA) GPL, effective Jan 2026 - direct cremation$1,307—source
2026WashingtonUnknownDirect cremationUS Funerals Online state average direct cremation, Washington (low end)$1,460—source
2015CaliforniaUnknownDirect cremationReader comment on CostHelper cremation cost page, Elk Grove CA—$1,500source
2026CaliforniaUnknownDirect cremationUS Funerals Online state average direct cremation, California$1,582—source
2026VirginiaIndependentDirect cremation with container provided by purchaserSturtevant Funeral Home and Crematory general price list, effective July 1 2026$1,770—source
2026TexasUnknownDirect cremationUS Funerals Online state average direct cremation, Texas$2,018—source
2024NationalUnknownDirect cremationNational average cited from Funeralocity marketplace pricing data$2,183survey avg—source
2026New YorkUnknownDirect cremationUS Funerals Online state average direct cremation, New York$2,391—source
2019US unspecifiedUnknownDirect cremationAgingCare forum, poster's father, cremation plus an urn—$2,500quoted $2,500source
2026ConnecticutUnknownDirect cremationUS Funerals Online state average direct cremation, Connecticut (highest state average on the page)$3,150—source
2024IndianaIndependentDirect cremation with container provided by purchaserCutler Funeral Home and Cremation Center general price list, effective May 1 2024, family owned since 1896$4,000—source

Common questions

How much does direct cremation cost in the US?

Across 13 real US prices, the median is $1,770, ranging from $695 to $4,000. These are published General Price List figures and bills families actually paid, not estimates.

Why do direct cremation prices vary so much?

Funeral homes set their own fees, and third-party costs like the cemetery plot or crematory vary by state. A national chain and a local independent can be thousands apart for the same service.

How can I pay less for direct cremation?

Ask several funeral homes for their General Price List (they must give it to you under the FTC Funeral Rule), compare the basic services fee, consider a direct cremation, and buy your own casket if you want. You are never obliged to accept the first quote.

Related free guides

Methodology: prices here are figures from funeral homes' General Price Lists (required by the FTC Funeral Rule) and bills families reported paying. Each row says which it is, with a link to the source where one exists. We never estimate and no sponsor can touch a number.