09/20/2026
How much does a funeral cost? 💸🪦⤵️
That’s kind of like asking how much a wedding costs. You could elope or get married at city hall with no reception and a borrowed dress, or you could have a destination wedding with an all-you-can-eat lobster bar.
At a funeral, you might have cemetery costs. You’ll have them for sure if you’re doing a full body burial. But you might have them if you’re doing a cremation if you choose to bury or inter the cremated remains.
I’ve chosen in-ground burial for my cremated remains.
I bought my plot last year. It’s a double plot, it can fit up to 2 sets of remains.
I’ve chosen Vancouver’s only cemetery, which is a beautiful city-owned (not private) cemetery.
Cemetery costs include 3 considerations:
1️⃣the plot itself. In-ground burial or interment in a masouleum (full body) or niche (cremated remains). Costs will vary depending on where you live and whether you’re in a private or civic cemetery. A few years ago in rural Manitoba you could still get a full body burial plot for $200!! Where I live, a 2-person cremation plot is 6k. You can’t pay but this in advance in most places!
2️⃣ grave preparation fees. These are known as opening and closing fees. It’s what it costs to have the crew dig, and then fill in, the grave. Likely to be several hundred dollars to a couple of thousand, depending on the size of the opening (full body or cremated remains) and depth of the grave. You can’t pay for this in advance in most places.
3️⃣ the cost of a marker. This will depend on size and material, plus labour, delivery, and installation. Typically this isn’t purchased in advance but you can’t pay see it sometimes, when you have a name with a birthdate but no final date listed.
Cemeteries aren’t everyone’s choice, but it’s what I’ve chosen for me. And I’ve pre-purchased as much as I can, set money aside for what I can’t, and even left suggestions about what to put on the marker.
I want this to be as easy as possible for the people I love whenever it happens! ❤️
