Funeral costs in Québec: what $2,500 does not cover

Most Quebecers have a rough idea of what a funeral costs. And that idea is often well below reality. That is normal: it is an expense you plan for once, sometimes twice in a lifetime, and rarely with any enthusiasm.

The figure that surprises people most, though, is not the cost itself but the gap. According to a survey by the Corporation des thanatologues du Québec (CTQ), a funeral at a private establishment comes to $5,700 on average. Meanwhile, the death benefit under the Québec Pension Plan (QPP) is a one-time payment with a maximum amount of $2,500, according to Retraite Québec.

Put another way, even in the best case the public program covers less than half the bill. Somebody will have to pay the rest, often within days of the death. There are, however, several ways to prepare that sum in advance, and comparing them costs nothing.

What a funeral really costs in Québec

Amounts vary with the type of establishment and the choices the family makes. Here are the reference points published by the sector's organizations.

Type of establishment	Average cost	Source
Private funeral establishment (Québec)	$5,700	Survey by the Corporation des thanatologues du Québec among its roughly 115 members
Funeral cooperative (Québec)	about $4,000	Alain Leclerc, executive director of the Fédération des coopératives funéraires du Québec
Canadian average	about $7,800	RBC Insurance

According to RBC Insurance, that Canadian average of $7,800 itself conceals a very wide range: from $4,500 to more than $20,000, depending on the region and the choices made.

What does that average price include? According to the Fédération des coopératives funéraires du Québec, it usually covers taking charge of the body, storage, cremation, mandatory embalming if there is a viewing, rental of the coffin, disposition of the ashes and administrative fees.

That is already substantial. But several common expenses do not appear in that base amount. A monument or a commemorative plaque is billed separately. So is the cemetery plot or the columbarium niche. Often added to that are the reception after the ceremony, flowers, the death notice published in newspapers or online, and certified copies of documents.

Taken one at a time, these expenses stay modest. Together, they explain why the final bill often exceeds the figure the family had in mind.

The QPP death benefit: a helping hand, not a solution

Many people assume the public program will handle most of it. That is a costly assumption.

According to Retraite Québec, the death benefit under the Québec Pension Plan is a one-time payment with a maximum amount of $2,500. It is not a pension: it is a single payment.

Two conditions are worth knowing. First, the benefit is paid only if the deceased contributed enough to the Québec Pension Plan. Someone who worked little, or who contributed elsewhere, does not necessarily create an entitlement. Second, the benefit does not arrive on its own: you have to apply for it with Retraite Québec.

The arithmetic speaks for itself. With an average of $5,700 in the private sector according to the CTQ survey, and a maximum of $2,500 on the Retraite Québec side, at least $3,200 is left to finance another way. And that calculation assumes the maximum amount, an average-priced funeral, and none of the extra expenses mentioned above.

The options for covering these costs in advance

There is no single solution. Three approaches come up most often in Québec, and each has its strengths.

Personal savings. Setting aside a dedicated sum remains the simplest and most flexible formula: the money is yours, and you can reallocate it at any time. The constraint is twofold: it takes time to build up a few thousand dollars, and depending on the type of account, the funds are not always quickly accessible at the moment the family needs them.

Prearranged funerals. These involve choosing and paying for your funeral in advance with a funeral business or a cooperative. The advantage is real: the decisions are made, written down, and your loved ones do not have to improvise them. In Québec, these contracts are governed by legislation. The trade-off is rigidity: your choices are tied to a specific establishment and a defined set of services. Moving to another region, or changing your mind, complicates things. And these contracts cover funeral services, not the other expenses that follow a death.

Life insurance and funeral insurance. Here the logic is reversed: the insurer pays a sum of money to the designated beneficiary, and it is the family that decides how to use it. That money can go toward the funeral, but also toward settling bills, a credit card balance or a few months of everyday expenses. Some products are designed specifically for final expenses, with more modest coverage amounts. Depending on the insurer and your situation, some products do not call for a medical exam, and there are simplified issue and guaranteed issue formulas. Criteria, premiums and timelines vary from one insurer to another: that is precisely why it is worth comparing.

None of these avenues is a bad one. Many families in fact combine two of them. The difference lies mainly in how much flexibility you want to leave your loved ones.

How to compare without chasing insurers one by one

This is often where people give up. Calling five companies, repeating the same information five times, getting five follow-up calls: nobody wants to spend a month that way.

That is what a comparison service is for. ClicAssure is a Québec comparison platform that works with licensed insurers and brokers. You fill out a single request, online, with your basic information. That request is then sent to partners, and you can receive up to three quotes.

You then compare the proposals side by side: the coverage amount, the premium, the type of product, the conditions. The service is free for the consumer, and receiving quotes commits you to nothing.

Price differences between insurers can be significant for an identical profile, because each company assesses age, health and lifestyle habits according to its own grid. That is the most concrete reason to shop your insurance around.

Term and permanent life insurance products are offered in Québec through the platform. Filling out the request takes a few minutes.

Frequently asked questions

At what age should you start thinking about it?

There is no required age, but the premium on a life insurance policy is generally calculated based on your age when you take it out. The longer you wait, the more the monthly cost tends to rise. Many people look into it around retirement, when group insurance tied to a job comes to an end. Doing the exercise at 50 or 55 simply leaves more options open.

What is the difference between life insurance, funeral insurance and prearrangements?

Life insurance pays a sum of money to the beneficiary, who uses it as they see fit. Funeral insurance, or final expense insurance, is life insurance designed for more modest amounts matching the expenses tied to a death. Prearranged funerals, for their part, do not pay out money: they buy specific services in advance from a given funeral establishment.

Is the QPP death benefit paid automatically?

No. According to Retraite Québec, you have to apply for it. And it is paid only if the deceased contributed enough to the Québec Pension Plan. The maximum amount is $2,500, in a single payment. Better to check eligibility before building a plan around that sum.

How long does comparing take?

Filling out the online request generally takes a few minutes, the time needed to enter your age, your situation and the type of coverage you are interested in. The quotes then come to you: up to three, depending on your answers and the partners available. The longest part remains yours: reading and comparing before deciding.

Is it really free?

Yes. The comparison service is free for the consumer, and receiving quotes carries no obligation to buy. You pay only if you choose to take out a contract, and what you pay is then the premium of the insurer you selected. Comparing, in itself, costs nothing.

Sources

• Retraite Québec, Prestation de décès : retraitequebec.gouv.qc.ca
• Fédération des coopératives funéraires du Québec, « Combien ça coûte mourir ? » : fcfq.coop
• RBC Insurance, average cost of a funeral in Canada : rbcinsurance.com
• ClicAssure, insurance comparison platform in Québec : clicassure.com