Funeral costs are on the rise, with no end in sight. With the average cost of a funeral in the U.S. nearing $10,000 in 2025, budget-conscious seniors are turning to less costly end-of-life plans like direct cremations and direct burials.
Direct burials and direct cremations skip traditional funeral ceremonies, offering significant savings. If you don’t want to have a traditional funeral or don’t mind losing out on the ceremony, then they are a good way to save costs.
Though they are inexpensive compared to traditional funerals, direct burials and cremations can still cost thousands. That’s why it’s a good idea to head into your senior years with a solid plan for covering your end-of-life expenses. Burial insurance is a great way to cover funeral, cremation, or burial plot costs at budget prices, and Final Expense Benefits is here to help you find the right policy.
If you’re interested in learning more about how burial insurance can cover your end-of-life expenses on a budget, call Final Expense Benefits at (866) 786-0725 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. Check our free online funeral cost calculator and quoting tool to see how much coverage you need and how much it may cost.
Key takeaways
Direct cremation and direct burial skip the pricey funeral ceremony.
They can cost less than half the price of traditional funerals.
Though costs are relatively low, seniors can use burial insurance to help cover the costs of direct burials and cremations.
Burial insurance is a type of whole life insurance designed to be affordable and reliable for seniors.
What Are Direct Cremation & Direct Burial?
Direct cremation and direct burial skip the lengthy and pricey funeral ceremony and viewing. These services are expensive, and skipping them can reduce your funeral cost by more than half.
This removes a lot of the funeral service provider’s involvement, giving your loved ones options. They could opt to completely skip the ceremony or host it privately, cutting out the traditional funeral home viewing and lowering costs significantly.
Direct burials typically involve a simple casket and grave marker, though those details are up to you and your loved ones. Similarly, it’s up to loved ones what to do with ashes if you choose a direct cremation. Burying them in an urn may add some extra costs, though it’s common for loved ones to keep ashes after a direct cremation, just like more traditional cremation ceremonies.
How Much Do Direct Burial & Direct Cremation Cost?
Direct burial and direct cremation costs are significantly lower than those of traditional funerals because they skip the ceremony. Removing the ceremony reduces the significant costs of officiants, funeral home rentals, embalming, and other body preparations. Per Funeralocity, the average cost for a direct burial is $5,138, and direct cremation costs average about $2,202.
This is a huge savings versus traditional services’ costs. According to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), the average cost of a traditional funeral with a viewing and burial is about $9,995, while a cremation with a viewing and burial averages about $6,280. However, costs for traditional cremations, funerals, and direct services vary based on multiple factors.
Direct burial and cremation costs can vary based on the funeral home and casket or urn prices, but costs vary the most based on location. Location affects direct cremation and direct burial costs based on:
- How much space funeral homes have
- Local laws and environmental concerns
- If you’re in an urban or rural area
Direct Cremation Costs By Location
Average Direct Cremation Costs by State
Data sourced from Funeralocity.
Examples of Direct Cremation Costs Per State
Here are the median direct cremation costs in these select states:
| State | Median Direct Cremation Cost |
|---|---|
|
California |
$1,642 |
|
Texas |
$2,135 |
|
Florida |
$1,706 |
|
New York |
$2,395
|
|
Pennsylvania |
$2,460
|
Remember that average costs vary across states. Contact your desired funeral service provider to verify direct cremation costs.
Direct Burial Costs by Location
Average Direct Burial Costs by State
Data sourced from Funeralocity.
Examples of Direct Burial Costs Per State
Here are the median direct burial costs in these select states. These costs include the cost of a $500 budget casket:
| State | Median Direct Burial Cost |
|---|---|
|
California |
$2,700 |
|
Texas |
$3,362 |
|
Florida |
$3,226 |
|
New York |
$3,005
|
|
Pennsylvania |
$3,287
|
The above figures represent estimates for direct burial and cremation costs, but real-life prices can add up quickly.
To more accurately estimate your end-of-life expenses, check our free online funeral cost calculator, and if you’d like to see how much a quality burial insurance policy that can cover them would cost, try Final Expense Benefits’ quoting tool.
How to Lower Direct Burial & Direct Cremation Costs
Though direct burial and cremation are relatively affordable, it’s a great idea to try to lower or cover the costs ahead of time. Here are some of the most popular and cost-effective ways seniors can reduce direct burial and direct cremation costs:
1
Headstones, Markers, and Memorial Accessories
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reimburses eligible veterans and their loved ones for burial costs. Coverage varies by the veterans’ service time, cemetery, and cremation service provider. However, the VA often provides full reimbursement for military funerals or burials in public military cemeteries, even direct burials.
VA reimbursements can offer significant help in reducing burial and cremation costs.
However, VA reimbursements don’t apply to everyone, have complicated requirements, and may not be enough to fully cover your end-of-life expenses, even affordable ones like direct burial and cremation.
2
Prepaid Funeral Plans
Also known as preneed funeral insurance, prepaid funeral plans are agreements signed with a specific funeral home to cover funeral costs ahead of time. These plans often require full payment for the funeral and burial plot costs up front and usually cost around $10,000 to $25,000.
Prepaid funeral plans are one of the only reliable ways to reserve a specific burial plot, but they’re often unnecessary for covering direct burial and cremation. Costs are low for these non-traditional memorials, and you likely won’t need a preneed plan to reserve service.
In addition, prepaid funeral plans offer little protection against the funeral home going out of business or increased costs. It’s better to put that money towards a better method of funeral cost savings, such as life insurance.
3
Green Burials & Other Non-Traditional Services
If you’re looking for an alternative to a traditional burial that isn’t just cost-effective but also eco-friendly, green burials can be a good option as they cost about the same as direct burials.
Tree pod burials, one of the most popular types of green burials, cost around $4,000. These services are useful for funeral planning on a budget because, like direct burials and cremations, they charge few extra fees beyond the cost of the burial plot and equipment.
Other non-traditional memorials, like donating your body to science or burial at sea, can also offer savings.
4
Burial Insurance
Also called final expense insurance or cremation insurance, burial insurance is a type of whole life insurance designed to provide seniors a reliable, affordable way to cover their funerals and other end-of-life expenses. A good policy can easily cover direct cremation or direct burial costs and leave money for your loved ones.
How Does Burial Insurance Cover Direct Burial & Direct Cremation Costs?
Burial insurance is whole life, meaning not only does it cover for the rest of the policyholder’s life, but premium rates are locked at the policy’s start. With average benefit payouts ranging from $5,000 to $50,000, these whole life plans offer plenty to cover a funeral, burial, cremation, and more.
Payouts can be even higher: insurers invest a portion of paid monthly premiums in a savings account to accrue cash value, which can be withdrawn as a loan or used to purchase additional coverage.
And with relaxed medical underwriting requirements, seniors can qualify for low-cost policies without waiting periods, even with pre-existing health conditions.
Seniors with major health concerns aren’t left out of coverage either: guaranteed issue life insurance is available to those who may not qualify for other policies. These policies have waiting periods that may pay benefits in a modified structure and are pricier than standard burial plans. However, they may be the only way for seniors with major health concerns to secure coverage.
How Much Does Burial Insurance Cost?
Burial insurance works so well for seniors, even those on fixed incomes, because it’s not just reliable; it’s affordable. Premium rates for a $10,000 policy from some of our top-rated burial insurance partners range from around $30 to $150 monthly. Rates are locked when you start the policy, but they rise as applicants age, so don’t wait: apply early while you’re in good health to lock in good rates and save.
Here are sample rates for a $10,000 burial insurance policy from some of our top-rated life insurance partners, calculated using a non-smoking applicant with no pre-existing health conditions:
| Company |
Male 50y/o |
Female 50y/o |
Male 60y/o |
Female 60y/o |
Male 70y/o |
Female 70y/o |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
$34 |
$27 |
$50 |
$40 |
$70 |
$56 |
|
|
$31 |
$26 |
$43 |
$35 |
$71 |
$53 |
|
|
$31 |
$24 |
$44 |
$33 |
$75 |
$53 |
|
|
$34 |
$29 |
$45 |
$35 |
$79 |
$59 |
|
|
$33 |
$26 |
$48 |
$36 |
$82 |
$58 |
These figures are estimates only, based on a $10,000 burial insurance policy for a non-smoking applicant with no pre-existing conditions.
If you’re interested in these or any of our other fantastic life insurance partners, call Final Expense Benefits at (866) 786-0725, or check our free online quoting tool for a personalized pricing estimate.
Final Thoughts
Opting for a direct burial or cremation is a great way for seniors to reduce their pricey funeral costs, but they still cost thousands of dollars. Burial insurance is a cost-effective way for seniors to make sure those costs are covered ahead of time.
If you’d like to learn more about burial insurance, call Final Expense Benefits at (866) 786-0725 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. Check our free online funeral cost calculator and quoting tool for funeral cost and burial insurance estimates.
FAQ
What is direct cremation?
Also called simple cremations or no-ceremony cremations, direct cremations are cremations without traditional funerals or viewings.
What is the difference between cremation and direct cremation?
Cremations normally have a funeral, memorial, or viewing hosted by a funeral home, while direct cremation skips those ceremonies to reduce costs. It’s important to remember that you can have a direct cremation and still have a memorial service that you self-host.
What is direct burial?
Direct burials, also known as simple burials or no-ceremony burials, are burial services without the pricey funeral ceremony or viewing.
How much do direct burial and direct cremation cost?
Costs for direct burials and cremations are significantly cheaper than traditional burial and cremation services. Per Funeralocity, direct burials average around $5,000, though this estimate includes a pricey casket, and your costs could be much less. Average direct cremation costs are around $2,000.
What is burial insurance?
Burial insurance is a low-cost type of whole life insurance designed to offer seniors accessible, affordable coverage. Average benefit payouts range from around $5,000 to $50,000.