Every figure on this page comes from a published cemetery price list or fee schedule, with the date it applies from. Prices change, so use them as a guide and confirm with the cemetery before you commit.
Two cemetery charges for a burial
A burial usually has two cemetery charges, on top of the funeral director's fees:
- The grave: the right to be buried in a particular place. It is often called an interment right, a right of interment or a grant of right of burial. You are buying the right to be buried there, rather than the land itself.
- The burial fee: for opening and closing the grave, sometimes called the interment fee.
A headstone or plaque is extra, and is often paid for months later.
Burial plot prices around Australia
| Cemetery | Grave | Burial fee | Prices from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park, Sydney | $18,630 (most basic) | $3,185 | 21 September 2026 |
| Gungahlin Cemetery, Canberra | $10,575 (monumental lawn, perpetual) | Listed separately | 1 September 2026 |
| Rookwood General Cemetery, Sydney | From $8,725 (monumental lawn) | $3,000 | 10 April 2025 |
| Springvale Botanical Cemetery, Melbourne | $6,645 (lawn grave with plaque, including a $440 selection fee) | $1,740 (Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust weekday fee) | 1 July 2026 |
| Karrakatta and Pinnaroo Valley, Perth | $2,862 (lawn, 25 year grant) | $1,783 | 1 July 2026 |
| Brisbane City Council (Pinnaroo, Mt Gravatt, Hemmant) | From $2,360 (lawn beam) | $3,170 | October 2026 |
| Sandgate Cemetery, Newcastle | $1,540 (most basic) | $3,710 | 13 October 2026 |
| Ararat Cemetery, regional Victoria | $1,360 (bought ahead) | $770 (lawn section) | 1 July 2026 |
| Broken Hill Cemetery, NSW | $872.73 (most basic) | $1,472 | 2025 to 2026 |
The pattern is clear: a grave in a capital city cemetery, especially in Sydney or Canberra, costs many times more than one in a regional town.
Burial plots in Sydney and NSW
Sydney has some of the highest grave prices in Australia. The most basic grave at Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park was $18,630 in September 2026, and graves at Rookwood General started at $8,725. NSW cemeteries also charge a small government levy ($162 plus GST for a burial in 2026 to 2027), and weekend burials cost more: Rookwood General adds $1,750 for a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday.
In NSW an interment right can be perpetual or renewable, so check which one you are buying. Our guide to funeral costs in NSW has more NSW prices.
Burial plots in Melbourne and Victoria
At Springvale Botanical Cemetery, a single lawn grave with a plaque was $6,645 in 2026 to 2027, and the Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust's weekday burial fee was $1,740. Regional cemeteries are often far less: Ararat Cemetery lists $1,360 for an adult grave bought ahead. The Victorian Department of Health publishes the gazetted fees for each Victorian cemetery trust, so you can look up the cemetery you are considering.
Burial plots in Brisbane, Perth and Canberra
- Brisbane: Brisbane City Council lawn beam graves start at $2,360, with a burial fee of $3,170 (October 2026).
- Perth: at Karrakatta and Pinnaroo Valley, a lawn grave grant was $2,862 and the adult burial fee $1,783 from 1 July 2026. In Western Australia a grant of right of burial is usually for 25 years and can be renewed for a further 25 years. If it isn't renewed, control of the grave goes back to the cemetery.
- Canberra: a perpetual burial right in the Gungahlin monumental lawn was $10,575 from 1 September 2026, with burial fees listed separately in the ACT fee schedule.
Questions to ask the cemetery
- What is your most basic grave, and what does it include?
- Is the right perpetual, or for a set number of years? What does renewal cost?
- What is the burial fee on a weekday, and on a weekend?
- Are there rules about headstones or plaques, and what do they cost?
- Can we buy a grave ahead of time, and can it be transferred if plans change?
If you are still deciding, our guide to burial or cremation compares the two, and cremation costs lists crematorium fees in each capital city.
Write down where you'd like to be buried
If you already have a grave, or know where you would like to be, the Remember Well• planner keeps that with your other wishes so your family isn't left guessing.
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Common questions
How much is a burial plot in Australia?
It depends on the cemetery. Published grave prices we checked ranged from $872.73 for the most basic grave at Broken Hill Cemetery to $18,630 at Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park in Sydney, plus a burial fee of $770 to $3,710.
How much is a burial plot in Sydney?
The most basic grave at Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park was $18,630 in September 2026, plus a $3,185 burial fee. At Rookwood General Cemetery, graves started at $8,725 with a $3,000 burial fee (April 2025 price guide). A NSW government levy and weekend charges can be added.
Can you buy a burial plot in advance?
Yes, many cemeteries sell graves ahead of need. For example, Ararat Cemetery in Victoria lists a price for an adult grave bought ahead, and the Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust charges a selection fee to choose a grave. Ask whether the right can be transferred if your plans change.
Do you own a burial plot?
Usually what you buy is the right to be buried in that grave, often called an interment right or right of burial, rather than the land itself. Depending on the state and cemetery, the right may be perpetual or for a set term, such as 25 years in Western Australia.
Is burial more expensive than cremation?
Usually, yes. In the 2023 Cost of Death 2.0 survey the average burial cost $11,039 and the average cremation $8,045, and the gap is much wider in Sydney and Canberra because of grave prices.
Sources
- Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park: Basic price list, 21 September 2026
- ACT Legislation Register: Cemeteries and Crematoria Authority (Fees) Determination 2026 (No. 1), from 1 September 2026
- Rookwood General Cemetery: Price guide, 10 April 2025
- Springvale Botanical Cemetery: Fees list 2026 to 2027, updated 18 August 2026
- Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust: Fees list 2026 to 2027, 1 July 2026
- Metropolitan Cemeteries Board (WA): Facilities and services price list 2026 to 2027, 1 July 2026
- Brisbane City Council: Cemeteries fees and charges, checked October 2026
- Sandgate Cemetery: Basic price list, 13 October 2026
- Victorian Department of Health: Ararat Cemetery fees, gazetted 1 July 2026
- Broken Hill City Council: Basic adult burial prices, 2025 to 2026
- Cemeteries & Crematoria NSW: Interment services levy
- City of Busselton (WA): Grant of right of burial FAQs
- Australian Seniors: The Cost of Death 2.0 report, November 2023 (survey of 1,200 Australians aged 50 and over)
This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Prices change, so always confirm current fees with the cemetery, crematorium or funeral director.