Funeral prices by state: where funerals cost the most in Australia
Funeral costs in Australia are not uniform. The same type of funeral can cost thousands more in one state than another. Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia are consistently among the most expensive. South Australia and Queensland sit at the lower end.
The widest spread in Australia; larger multi-branch brands set the top end.
Lowest floor nationally (charitable provider, means-tested).
The high end includes water cremation (aquamation).
Bars show the advertised base price spread. The marked point is what most families pay. Figures are indicative and vary by branch and circumstance.
State averages at a glance
2025 eziFunerals Funeral Index (advertised base prices):
| State | Average | Relative cost | State guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIC | $8,200 | Highest | Victoria funeral costs |
| NSW | $7,950 | High | New South Wales funeral costs |
| WA | $7,850 | High | Western Australia funeral costs |
| QLD | $7,600 | Mid | Queensland funeral costs |
| TAS | $7,400 | Mid | Tasmania funeral costs |
| SA | $7,200 | Lower | South Australia funeral costs |
| NT | $7,100 | Lowest (limited data) | Northern Territory funeral costs |
| ACT | ~$7,850 (cremation only) | Limited data | ACT funeral costs |
The national average reported by the index is $7,750 (advertised base prices). It is drawn from a broader sample than the per-state rows above, so it does not equal the simple average of those rows. The ACT figure is a cremation-with-service cost rather than a comparable base-price average.
These figures exclude cemetery fees for burials, which vary dramatically by location and can add $4,100 to $24,000+ on top.
Two ways to measure state pricing
Advertised base prices are what providers list on their websites. The 2025 eziFunerals Australian Funeral Index compiles these into state averages based on advertised minimum packages. This measure excludes third-party disbursements, extras, and situational charges.
Consumer-reported total spend is what families actually pay. The 2023 Australian Seniors Cost of Death Report surveyed consumers about their total out-of-pocket costs including all extras and disbursements.
These two methods produce different rankings. The eziFunerals index ranks VIC as the most expensive state. Consumer survey data shows the ACT with the highest burial costs. Both are valid measurements of different things.
Every price here is a base advertised package price unless labelled otherwise. Named-provider figures are drawn from publicly available and published provider pricing reviewed in June 2026; they are indicative, change over time, and vary by branch. Where consumer-reported total spend data is used, it is labelled as such.
State-by-state breakdown
New South Wales
Direct cremation: $1,900 (Rosemary Funeral Services) to $8,883 (White Lady, Pennant Hills) Burial (funeral director plus cemetery): $6,800 to $15,000+ depending on cemetery
NSW has the widest price spread of any state, largely because it contains both the cheapest independent providers and some of the most expensive larger multi-branch brands.
Cemetery fees (selected):
Macquarie Park (Sydney): burial interment $3,075, plots from $10,995, ash placement $900, concrete capping up to $1,490. Heritage estate plots at Castlebrook (Sydney) reach tens of thousands of dollars. In NSW, the Interment Services Levy adds $156 per burial (ex-GST), with limited exemptions.
Regulation: NSW is the only state with a mandatory Funeral Information Standard requiring online pricing disclosure. A 2021 IPART review found around a third of providers were not publishing required information at the time of the draft report.
Full New South Wales funeral costs guide
Victoria
Direct cremation: $990 (Bereavement Assistance, charitable, means-tested) to $5,355 (T J Scott and Son) Burial (funeral director plus cemetery): $5,005 to $8,500+ (excluding metro cemetery premium)
VIC has the lowest direct cremation floor in Australia through Bereavement Assistance, a charitable provider. But burial costs in Melbourne are among the highest nationally. Melbourne metropolitan burial plots run to around $13,028.
The 2025 eziFunerals index ranked VIC as having the highest average advertised funeral price at $8,200.
Data confidence: High. Multiple provider price lists available across metro and regional areas.
Full Victoria funeral costs guide
Queensland
Direct cremation: $1,980 (Tony Hollands Funerals) to $5,420 (Morleys Funerals, Townsville) Burial (funeral director plus cemetery): $6,337 to $8,000+
QLD sits in the middle of the national range. Council-operated cemeteries in QLD tend to have lower fee structures than the private or trust-operated cemeteries common in NSW and VIC.
At the time of our research (June 2026), at least one QLD independent (Tony Hollands Funerals) advertised after-hours transfers at no extra cost, which can remove one of the more common surprise charges. Inclusions vary by provider, so check the current quote.
Data confidence: High. Good spread of provider price lists across metro and regional.
Full Queensland funeral costs guide
Western Australia
Direct cremation: $2,800 to $4,160 (Greenfields Funerals) Burial (funeral director plus cemetery): $9,249 to $16,500+
WA ranks among the most expensive states for funerals, and it has a structural difference that no other state shares: cemetery plots are typically sold as 25-year grants, not permanent purchases. When the grant expires, the family must renew (repurchase) or the right to the site is no longer guaranteed. This creates a generational cost that does not apply in most other states.
Cemetery fees (WA Metro Cemeteries Board):
Adult cremation: around $1,350. Burial interment: around $1,698. Metro burial total (interment plus a 25-year grant): around $4,316 to $4,424.
WA has no mandatory pricing disclosure law. Pricing transparency relies on voluntary compliance.
Data confidence: High. WA Metro Cemeteries Board publishes a detailed fee schedule.
Full Western Australia funeral costs guide
South Australia
Direct cremation: $2,000 to $2,829 Burial (funeral director plus cemetery): $7,500 to $15,000+
SA generally sits at the lower end of the national range, with the 2025 eziFunerals average at $7,200. However, pricing data for SA relies more heavily on aggregator estimates than on primary provider price lists. Fewer SA funeral directors publish itemised pricing online compared to NSW or VIC.
Data confidence: Medium. Limited primary provider price lists available.
Full South Australia funeral costs guide
Tasmania
Direct cremation: $2,200 to $6,000 Burial (funeral director plus cemetery): $8,000 to $18,000+ (aggregator estimate)
The high end of TAS cremation pricing includes water cremation (aquamation). At the time of our research (June 2026), one TAS provider (Alluvium) advertised aquamation in the range of around $4,400 to $6,000. Standard flame cremation tends to sit at the lower end of the range.
Cemetery fees (City of Launceston):
Cremation: $693. Right of burial (pre-purchase): $2,003 (grave preparation charged on top).
Data confidence: Low. TAS is one of two states (along with NT) where no traditional funeral director price lists were available from any source in our research. The ranges here rely on aggregator data and cemetery fee schedules.
Full Tasmania funeral costs guide
Australian Capital Territory
Direct cremation: $2,500 to $3,587 (White Lady, Tuggeranong) Burial (funeral director plus cemetery): $9,000 to $22,361
Consumer survey data has put the ACT among the highest in the country for burial costs. The 2023 Australian Seniors Cost of Death Report measured total out-of-pocket spend, which sits well above advertised base prices.
Cemetery fees (Gungahlin):
Burial fee: $3,227. Cremation: $1,074.
The 2025 eziFunerals index reported the ACT only as a cremation-with-service cost of about $7,850, not a full base-price average comparable to other states.
Data confidence: Medium. Limited provider coverage but some cemetery fee schedules available.
Northern Territory
Direct cremation: $2,500+ (limited data) Burial (funeral director plus cemetery): $9,500 to $13,172
The NT has the lowest average in the 2025 eziFunerals index at $7,100, but this figure should be treated with caution. The NT has the smallest funeral market in Australia, very few providers, and no provider price lists were available from any source in our research.
Cemetery fees (Litchfield / Thorak):
Cremation: from $1,838. Burial interment: $1,269. Burial plot: $4,290.
Data confidence: Low. Aggregator data only. No local funeral director price lists available.
Full Northern Territory funeral costs guide
What drives the state differences
Cemetery fee structures. State and local governments or trusts control cemetery pricing. WA plots are renewable 25-year grants. NSW has a $156 interment levy. Melbourne metro plots run to around $13,028. These charges are set outside the funeral director's control and vary more between states than the funeral director's own fees do.
Larger provider concentration. States with more large multi-branch and premium brands (NSW, VIC) tend to have higher averages. A 2019 Gathered Here pricing report found providers with 5 or more branches charged 20.81% above the national average in 2019. Some local-sounding brands also share a parent company, so if you are comparing, it is worth checking ownership on ABN Lookup; the corporate vs independent funeral directors guide sets out who owns what.
Metro versus regional. Within every state, metropolitan funerals cost more than regional ones. The gap is driven primarily by cemetery plot prices, property costs, and the concentration of premium-priced corporate providers in metro areas.
Regulation. Only NSW has a mandatory pricing disclosure law. All other states rely on voluntary compliance. In states without disclosure requirements, consumers have less information to compare prices before making a decision under time pressure.
Frequently asked questions
Which state has the most expensive funerals?
Which state has the cheapest funerals?
Why are WA funerals structured differently?
How reliable are the state averages?
Does any state require funeral directors to publish prices?
When you are ready
This guide is general information to help Australian families, editorially reviewed by the Funerals Direct team from publicly available sources. It is not legal or financial advice. Funeral prices change and vary by provider and region, so always ask for an itemised written quote. For prepaid funerals, bonds, or insurance, consider speaking with an independent financial adviser or a free financial counsellor on 1800 007 007.
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