Funeral costs rise by 3.3% in just 6 months

The cost of a traditional funeral has risen by £90 in just three months and by £151 since the start of the year, according to new data from Pure Cremation.

The research found that the average traditional funeral now costs £4,713, a rise of 1.95% between July and April 2026 and 3.3% since January.

The research also reveals that there is still a postcode lottery when it comes to funeral costs. The difference between the cost of a funeral in the cheapest region (North East England, £4,264) and the most expensive (London, £5,898)  is now £1,634.

The report arrives four years after the Competition and Markets Authority introduced the Funeral Market Investigation Order 2021, which legally requires funeral directors to display clear, standardised price lists both online and in-store. However the research shows that this is not happening; it found examples of funeral directors quoting old third party attended cremation prices on their websites meaning families are then faced with higher costs than expected, while many also quote a price range meaning an individual funeral director’s price might vary by as much as £625 depending on which crematorium they use (since they usually don’t have their own) or when the service is taking place.

Ian Atkinson, Marketing Director at Pure Cremation, said “Funeral costs have now risen by £151 since the start of the year, with families paying an average of £4,713 for a traditional funeral. At a time when household budgets remain under pressure, every extra pound matters, making it more important than ever that people can easily understand what they’ll actually be expected to pay.

“As we compiled this report, it became clear that simply looking at a funeral director’s ‘standardised price list’ often won’t give families the full picture. Many funeral directors still include price ranges, ‘price on request’ items and additional charges, making it difficult to calculate the final cost in advance.

“Despite the Competition and Markets Authority introducing rules to improve transparency, there is still far too much uncertainty around what is and isn’t included in the headline price. That leaves grieving families at risk of unexpected costs at one of the most difficult times in their lives.

“Our research aims to give families a clear, like-for-like comparison of funeral costs in their area, helping them make informed decisions with confidence. It also highlights why more people are choosing simpler alternatives such as direct cremation, which offers a dignified funeral at less than half the average cost of a traditional service.”