Alex Trelinski
SOUTHERN Spain is the cheapest part of the country to die, according to the OCU consumer association.
The highest prices for funerals and cremations were reported in Vigo in the north-west, averaging out at €6,115.
Cadiz in the south averaged a far more modest €2,551.
An OCU investigation contacted 113 funeral homes in 29 cities.
It criticised a third of surveyed businesses for a ‘lack of transparency’ in providing proper estimates for their services.
The consumer group recommends ‘shopping around’ to get a range of prices as it discovered significant variations even within a local area.
For example it got quotes of between €4,886 and €6,164 for an Alicante funeral.
The tariffs are far lower in Valencia, ranging between €2,542 and €4,434.
The most cost-effective area to die appears to be southern Spain.
Cadiz has the lowest average rates(€2,551) among the OCU surveyed cities, but Malaga also has a low average funeral cost of €2,966.
Further north, Murcia comes in at €3,051, while Palma de Mallorca charges €3,636.
The OCU worked out that an average Spanish funeral came in at €3,739.
A cremation service package would come in marginally lower at €3,617.
The price of a coffin is the costliest element, coming in a range between €600 and €1,300 for a ‘no frills’ casket.
The OCU survey reports that most people pay around €1,200.
Image Credit: Cordon Press
