Exactly how to pay for a funeral service or cremation According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the median funeral expense in the United States in 2019 ranged from $6,645 for a cremation with a viewing and memorial service to $9,135 for a funeral service with a viewing, service and safe. When cemetery prices are factored in, the overall mean expense of a funeral can exceed $10,000. Also basic cremations without service can go beyond the savings a family carries hand. (Review our full coverage on funeral, burial ground and also cremation costs here.).