Burial insurance — also called final expense or funeral insurance — usually costs a modest monthly premium that you lock in for life. What you pay depends mostly on your age, gender, tobacco use, health, and the face amount you choose. A smaller policy for an older, healthy non-smoker costs the least.
How much does burial insurance cost per month?
Burial insurance is one of the more affordable types of coverage because the face amount is small — usually $2,000 to $50,000, with $10,000 to $25,000 the most common range. Your monthly premium is set by a handful of personal factors, so two people the same age can pay very different amounts. Rather than guess, the honest way to see real numbers is to compare live carrier quotes side by side. Our current burial insurance rate table lays out sample monthly premiums by age, gender, and coverage amount so you can find your own ballpark.
What makes your monthly premium go up or down?
Five factors do most of the work in setting your monthly premium. None of them are secret, and an independent broker compares how each carrier weighs them:
- Age — the younger you buy, the lower the rate, and it locks in for life.
- Gender — women generally pay less than men at the same age because they tend to live longer.
- Tobacco use — smokers and other tobacco users pay more; quitting for a set period can move you to non-tobacco rates.
- Health — better health can qualify you for a lower rate and coverage that begins right away instead of a waiting period.
- Face amount — the bigger the death benefit, the higher the premium, in near-direct proportion.
| Factor | Points to a lower premium | Points to a higher premium |
|---|---|---|
| Age at purchase | Younger | Older |
| Gender | Female | Male |
| Tobacco use | Non-tobacco | Tobacco user |
| Health questions | Can answer “no” to most | Serious conditions, or you skip the questions entirely |
| Face amount | Smaller (e.g., $10,000) | Larger (e.g., $25,000+) |
How does the coverage amount change what you pay?
The face amount is the lever you control most directly. Because the premium rises with the death benefit, picking the right coverage — not the biggest — keeps the cost manageable. Most buyers size the policy to what it needs to cover: a funeral, plus any small debts left behind. The national median funeral runs about $8,300 with a viewing and burial, or $6,280 with cremation, according to the NFDA’s 2023 price study. Government help barely dents that — Social Security pays only a one-time $255 death payment — so most families lean on the policy itself.
Common coverage choices and what they typically cover:
- $5,000–$10,000 — a direct cremation or a simple service.
- $10,000–$15,000 — a traditional funeral with a viewing and burial.
- $15,000–$25,000 — the funeral plus leftover medical bills or small debts.
For a fuller breakdown of what a service actually runs, see our guide to funeral costs.
Does your health change the price — and can you skip the health questions?
Yes — health is one of the biggest price levers. If you can answer “no” to a carrier’s health questions, you’ll usually qualify for the lowest rate and coverage that begins the day the policy starts. If you have serious conditions, you can choose a guaranteed-issue policy that skips the health questions entirely — but that convenience costs more per dollar of coverage and comes with a two-year graded death benefit. That means a natural-cause death in the first two years pays back your premiums plus interest rather than the full face amount. See how guaranteed-issue coverage trades a higher premium for zero health questions.
How can you get the lowest burial insurance rate?
Because every carrier prices these factors differently, the same 68-year-old can get very different quotes from different companies — which is exactly why comparing matters. A few moves that lower what you pay:
- Buy sooner — your age only goes up, and your premium locks in the day the policy begins.
- Right-size the face amount to your actual need instead of over-buying.
- If you use tobacco, ask each carrier how long you must be quit to earn non-tobacco rates, since the rules vary.
- Answer health questions honestly — qualifying for a fully underwritten policy usually beats defaulting to guaranteed issue.
- Compare several carriers at once instead of taking the first offer.
An independent broker does that comparison for you, so you see the lowest rate you actually qualify for.
When you’re ready to see real dollars, the fastest path is the rate table — it shows sample monthly premiums by age, gender, and coverage so you can find where you fit before you ever talk to anyone. Check current burial insurance costs and see what fits your budget.