Huge differences in cemetery fees
Death is the most expensive in Bern
Death is followed by fees: Depending on the location, burials can be quite expensive. The price monitor criticizes extreme price differences.
Published: 19 minutes ago
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Price supervisor Stefan Meierhans criticizes the huge differences in cemetery fees.
The final rest can be expensive. In Bern, relatives have to shell out around 3,700 francs for a burial of their loved one in the coffin, in Appenzell 2,800 francs are due.
The federal price monitor, Stefan Meierhans (54), considers these prices to be completely over the top. In a new study, he took a close look at the cemetery fees in the canton capitals and found that the differences are huge – and incomprehensible.
While a Bernese woman has to spend more than half of an average monthly wage for a coffin burial, in more than half of the cantons you pay nothing at all (see table below). Appenzell and Bern are also by far the most expensive places for urn burials. On the other hand, those who wish to be buried in a communal grave will have to dig deep into their pockets in Solothurn. An anonymous urn there costs almost 900 francs, and it gets even more expensive if the name is to be on the community grave.
More than 300 francs is too much
According to the conclusion of the price monitor, not all canton capitals adhere to the cost recovery principle – i.e. do not ask for more than the burials actually cost. From his point of view, more than 300 francs for a burial in a coffin – in a row grave for locals – is not justified. For an urn burial, he sets the maximum at 200 francs, for an anonymous burial in a communal grave at 100 francs.
He agrees that the prices for foreigners may be significantly higher than for residents. However, he does not consider more than 2,000 francs for a row grave in the coffin to be justified.
The maximum prices are recommendations. The Price Supervisor cannot oblige municipalities to reduce the fees. But admonish you. (lha)
| canton capital | Row grave coffin for locals (in francs, rounded to 100 francs) |
Row grave urn for locals |
Community grave anonymous for locals |
| Aarau | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Altdorf | 800 | 200 | 200 |
| Appenzell | 2800 | 2800 | there is not any |
| Basel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bellinzona | 500 | 500 | 0 |
| Bern | 3700 | 2500 | 300 |
| Chur | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Delémont | 500 | 300 | 300 |
| woman field | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Freiburg | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Geneva | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Glarus | 500 | 400 | 600 |
| herisau | 800 | 400 | 0 |
| Lausanne | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| liestal | 100 | 100 | 0 |
| Lucerne | 0 | 0 | 400 |
| Neuchâtel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| sarnen | 0 | 0 | 500 |
| Schaffhouse | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Schwyz | 300 | 300 | 800 |
| sion | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Solothurn | 1700 | 900 | 900 |
| St. Gallen | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stans | 700 | 300 | 400 |
| train | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zurich | 0 | 0 | 0 |