California · cost guide · 2026
Direct cremation cost in California
Each funeral home's own filed price, checked against its document. Last checked Oct 23, 2026.
How we're paid
Funeral homes can pay for a listing labelled "Sponsored", kept apart from the price list. Payment never changes the order or the prices, and you never need an email to see a price.
Direct cremation · California
217 price lists$2,495
median · the same direct cremation runs $972 to $5,880 across California
17 metros with a ranked list
Each metro page ranks every home by price, then distance. Nobody can pay to move up.
Median direct cremation price by metro
| Metro | Median | Lowest | Homes | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 checked price lists | $2,100 | $972 | 18 | View prices |
| 14 checked price lists | $2,155 | $1,195 | 14 | View prices |
| 11 checked price lists | $2,155 | $1,095 | 11 | View prices |
| 3 checked price lists | $2,275 | $1,195 | 3 | View prices |
| 6 checked price lists | $2,530 | $1,995 | 6 | View prices |
| 4 checked price lists | $2,530 | $1,995 | 4 | View prices |
| 55 checked price lists | $2,555 | $1,030 | 55 | View prices |
| 3 checked price lists | $2,655 | $1,820 | 3 | View prices |
| 16 checked price lists | $2,665 | $1,995 | 16 | View prices |
| 8 checked price lists | $2,665 | $2,170 | 8 | View prices |
Sorted by median. Our sort method is published and placement is never for sale.
Showing 1 to 10 of 17 metros in California
Why two homes differ
Homes a few miles apart can differ by thousands. Three things move the price most.
The basic services fee
Every home charges one and you can't decline it. It differs most between homes.
Its own crematory
A home that runs its own often prices below one that pays a third party.
Distance and travel
Homes set how far they'll travel before a mileage charge starts.
Questions families ask
Answers use the figures on this page, not national averages.
Across 217 funeral homes in California with a checked price list, the median is $2,495 and the range runs $972 to $5,880. Every figure is from the funeral home's own general price list, checked against that list; the most recent check was Oct 23, 2026.
Of the metros with at least three checked price lists, Riverside has the lowest median at $2,100 and San Jose the highest at $4,015. A home a few miles outside a metro often prices well below it, so check the full ranked list for the metro nearest you.
The non-declinable basic services fee differs most between homes, followed by whether the home runs its own crematory or pays a third party, and how far it will travel before a mileage charge applies. Two homes a few miles apart can differ by thousands.
No. Under the federal Funeral Rule (16 CFR Part 453) you have the right to choose only the goods and services you want, and every funeral home must give you an itemized General Price List. The figures here are a comparison aid built from those itemized prices.
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