Costs of a Funeral in Malaysia

The costs of a funeral is broken down into the Funeral Service and the Final Resting place. The funeral service would include cremation of burial. There are several options for the final resting place, such as columbaria, cemetery, scattering into the sea, or even at home. If columbaria or cemetary is chosen, then the costs of buying a plot of land for that purpose needs to be included.

The costs of a funeral can be broken down into 2 main chunks:

1. Funeral service (Wake, cremation / burial, and the ceremonies around that)
2. Final resting place (Cemetery or columbaria or scattering out to sea)

The funeral costs in Malaysia can vary significantly depending on how elaborate the ceremony is. The most basic of funerals can be done for around 10K to 12K Ringgits. Some budget funeral parlours can go lower than 10K. But when going for budget, do not expect anything beyond the most basic services.

Part 1: Funeral Service

Basic Funeral Services (No Religious Prayers)

The most basic services would not have religious ceremonies at all. There would be a a simple Wake for 1 night, followed immediately by burial or cremation. These basic ceremonies would bring down the costs significantly.

Budget funeral parlours might even opt not to have a Wake at all and go straight for the burial or cremation. When this option is selected, then the costs can go below 10K ringgit.

Buddhist and Taoist Funeral Services

These are considered the standard funeral services. Prices range from 20K to 50K, depending on the type of prayers performed, duration, and the number of guests catered for. Most funeral parlours have standard packages which range from 20K to 25K, and these would be sufficient for most families. For those catering for larger crowds, expect the costs to go up.

Families of Very-Important-Persons (VIP) who want to have a grander send off for their loved ones may opt for the more expensive packages which cater for a larger crowd and have more elaborate ceremonies. These can go up to 50K for the standard premium packages. But, in all honesty, the sky is the limit in terms of costs here as the add ons or additional options can send the costs skywards quickly.

Nirvana has funeral service packages which cater for all requirements, and it starts at around 20K all the way up to 50K. Contact us for more details.

Christian Funeral Services

Christian funeral packages are slightly cheaper than Buddhist and Taoist packages as the prayers and ceremonies are simpler. There are less offering made. And due to this, the costs are lower. Funeral packages can range from 12K to 20K for standard packages.

But, there are options which can be added to these funeral packages, such as additional nights for the Wake, more guests, more prayer service sessions, and so on. These would mean increases in the costs of the funeral service.

Nirvana has several Christian funeral service packages, and the costs range from 15K to 20K. Contact us for more details.

Free Thinker Funeral Services

Free think funeral services are similar to the basic funeral packages and do not have prayers or religious ceremonies. Due to this, the costs are lower than the packages mentioned above.

Nirvana has a package for Free Thinker families. Contact us for details.

Ceylonese, Hindu and other Funeral Services

Ceylonese and Hindu funeral services are handled by a few selected funeral service providers. Check out our directory for some of these funeral service providers (directory is coming soon).

Nirvana caters to these different religious requirements using add ons. The family of the loved on can select a basic package usually the Christian package basic package, and add on prayer services from Hindu or Ceylonese temples. Contact us for details.

The price range here would be the cost of the basic funeral package between 15K to 20K plus additional costs for the prayers.

Part 2: Final Resting Place

Columbaria

This is a place to put the ashes of the loved one after cremation. A normal location like Gui Yuan near the Petaling Jaya crematorium costs less than 10K. Traditional cemeteries with memorial parks also offer columbaria spaces for less than 10K.

Urn Gardens

Urn gardens are structured like traditional cemeteries but smaller as it is to cater for the ashes of loved ones after cremation. Some cemeteries offer urn gardens. These are much more expensive than columbaria as the land size involved is significantly larger. Expect the costs to be between 30K to 50K.

Nirvana Shah Alam offers urn gardens. These are expensive and costs more than 50K.

Scattering at Sea

One option for a loved one’s ashes is for scattering the ashes at sea. There would be no need to buy a place at a columbaria or a plot of land for burial.

Burial Plot

These are traditional cemeteries where the coffin with the remains of a loved one are buried. These require a lot of land and costs are very high. At traditional cemeteries, these costs more than 50K. The design and build up of the burial plot can add significant costs. The more elaborate the design, the more it costs.

There are options for family burial lots where it is large enough to house many members of the family. The larger the land size, the higher the costs. A family burial plot costs more than 100K.

Nirvana offers a lot of options for burial plots with numerous designs to choose from. Contact us for more details.