As one of the two government-operated crematoria and columbaria, we consider Mandai Columbarium the safest choice for anyone struggling with a budget. 

As a matter of fact, Singapore’s prominent funeral services often partner up with Mandai Columbarium to include cremation fees in funeral packages. It would be irrefutable to call it the people’s choice for post-funeral services.

When it comes to facilities, we equate Mandai Columbarium with royalty. With 133,000 niches in eight three-storey buildings and over 10 cremators, as well as a handful of viewing halls, you won’t have to worry about availability.

The columbarium is designed to be simple and impartial, so it can accommodate remains regardless of religious beliefs, or lack thereof.

In terms of convenience, we believe Mandai Columbarium is the perfect candidate, as it is both a crematorium and a columbarium at the same time. You won’t have to worry about driving back and forth to the niche you’ve chosen.

The surrounding scenery is tranquil as well, providing the solemnity you need in the face of grief. It’s also a drive away from the bustling city, so you’re guaranteed a peaceful bubble for you and your loved one.

But like any public columbarium, one of its biggest disadvantages is that niches get assigned to the client, otherwise choosing a niche of your preference means extra charges.

This can prove to be a brunt for people who follow Feng Shui. Unless there are slots available that align with the positive energy you’re looking for, we think you best skip its niche services.

Nonetheless, its cremation services come at a fixed price. If you’re looking to it for urn selection and storage as well, prices may differ based on the urns you choose.

So if you’re looking for a direct cremation without the extra steps of holding a funeral wake or procession, we suggest consulting with Mandai Columbarium for your options.

Its cremation services run daily from 9 AM to 8:45 PM, but its office — where you will have to secure a slot first — is open from 8 AM to 5:30 PM.

Mandai Columbarium’s parking spaces are plentiful, although we’d advise you to plan your visit ahead, as the queue for parking can get congested easily depending on the time of day — or holiday — you’re planning to stop by.

You can also secure slots via online reservation thru the National Environment Agency’s (NEA) app. Just visit its After Death section and you’ll find the forms you need.

Regardless of one’s religious beliefs, sometimes a direct cremation is the apt solution for a family’s funeral troubles.

Leading memorial specialist Memories of Life can underscore this cost-effective method with its decade-long history of personalising plaques and tombstones for an affordable rate.

As Singapore’s leading memorial specialist, Memories of Life knows all the ABCs to arrange a niche and hold a simplistic send-off for the departed without the traditional, ritualistic elements of regular funeral ceremonies.

Its niche expertise can save you a lot of time figuring out the technicalities of burial arrangements without the need to reach out to a funeral service provider.

In fact, among the clients we’ve talked to, Memories of Life is well-known for providing advice and simplifying the entire process of a direct funeral — from cremation to urn selection, to prepping a niche, to every other necessary post-funeral arrangements.

For us, this is what makes it the ideal consultant for anyone still confused about whether to get a direct cremation for their loved ones or whether to abide by traditional funeral functions.

Additionally, Memories of Life’s specialty doesn’t end with just the engraving of high-quality urns and columbarium installations. It also offers keepsake jewellery and other memorabilia to bereaved families.

The loss of a loved one is a personal affair, so Memories of Life gives its clients the option to keep porcelain photographs from Italian-manufactured materials, engraved with personalised messages in either English or Mandarin.

As a bonus, Memories of Life also offers pet cremation services along with headstone and plaque personalisations. So if you’re a bereaved pet owner looking for a peaceful send-off for your furry baby, we suggest giving Memories of Life a call.

While it doesn’t provide a fixed rate, clients are free to consult its team for a quotation of the services they need to be rendered. 

As a reassurance, customers have vouched for its transparency in pricing, so you don’t have to worry about hidden charges.

Just head on to its website and submit a form, or send a message via its official Facebook page.

You can also try driving down to its office at Bukit Batok, though we note that it’s closed on Sundays. It’s also open for only half a day on Saturdays.

Embrace Funeral Services prides itself to be a one-stop funeral service provider, offering all-inclusive packages for a wide range of religious beliefs.

With a 4th generation undertaker at the helm, you can trust Embrace Funeral Services to take the ropes in preparing the funeral ceremony you envisioned.

Its funeral packages come with cremation services regardless of religious beliefs, giving the bereaved families a choice if they want to cut costs by availing of a columbarium instead of the usual burial ceremony.

Not that clients ever have to worry about costs; Embrace Funeral Services keeps its rates flexible and doesn’t shock you with extra charges, even if you’re opting for personalised service.

Although that means it doesn’t offer a fixed rate for its packages and only offers an estimate initially. The final cost will depend on how your budget and requirements can meet the services you want to be rendered.

It also lets bereaved families opt for a private cremation. Afterward, clients can choose to store the ashes in personalised keepsake memorabilia.

What stood out about Embrace Funeral Services to us is how its personalised services aren’t limited to funeral services. It can also cater to clients who are looking to cremate their amputated limbs.

Like its other services, this special limb cremation service can be arranged so that clients wouldn’t have to be involved in administrative work. That means Embrace Funeral Services has it covered for you, down to the delivery of ashes.

Truly, when it promises you to be a one-stop service provider, you wouldn’t have to lift a finger; this extra-mile service, in particular, is how we measure service providers who claim to be all-rounders.

Not to mention, Embrace Funeral Services is open 24/7 and has a 24-hour hotline you can call anytime for a free consultation. Its office is also conveniently located in Geylang Bahru, so commuting wouldn’t be a problem.

As a bonus, if you’re truly short on budget, Embrace Funeral Services can provide pro bono services for you.

For over 12 years now, Elite Funeral Services has helped over 4,000 bereaved families gain their peace over losing a loved one.

When it comes to providing services on short notice, we learned that Elite Funeral Services is among clients’ most recommended.

With a 24-hour support hotline available all days of the week, we can start to see why this is so. Not only that, but Elite Funeral Services also begins its packages at a fixed rate, allowing clients to assess their budget from the beginning.

While Elite Funeral Services’ packages are highly affordable, especially for such a comprehensive list of services, we do want to point out that its cremation services are only included in its higher-value packages.

This is applicable for all its packages, irrespective of religion.

So unless you already have a separate columbarium in mind to provide after-funeral cremation, then engaging Elite Funeral Services’ cremation package means extra charges.

Of course, higher value packages include more than just the cremation; there are a lot of valuable add-ons too, like drinks and snacks, so rest assured you’ll be getting your money’s worth.

Elite Funeral Services also provides direct cremation services, although its fixed rates for this service only take one crematorium in estimate

If you already have a different crematorium in mind, you can dial Elite Funeral Services for a free consultation — or you can drive down its office at Playfair Road. It’s open 24/7 and doesn’t require a prior schedule for a consultation.

Nirvana Memorial Garden is Singapore’s first private and contemporary columbarium, which makes it a pioneer among other establishments that offer cremation services.

Being a private institution from a renowned conglomerate, Nirvana Memorial Garden’s biggest edge compared to our other entries is how it can maximise top-class resources by tailoring its services to the client’s budget.

That is to say, you’re guaranteed to receive treatment that’s worth what you paid for. 

Nirvana Memorial Garden is also both a private columbarium and a funeral service provider. So its funeral services are usually inclusive of cremation and housing already.

If you’re looking for a stylish and elegant columbarium to house your loved one’s ashes, we offer Nirvana Memorial Garden as a first choice. 

Its niches are unique in design as it incorporates chic, modern elements and blends them with traditional compositions.

It has three suites to offer, each one classier than the last. Besides its contemporary take on designs, Nirvana Memorial Garden also keeps the place tranquil and reverently peaceful.

It also has a staff body especially for maintaining its facilities, including worship and prayer services for the departed.

If we were to pin down its downsides, the most noteworthy aspect we’ll point out is how Nirvana Memorial Gardens — as its name suggests — is grounded on Chinese funeral traditions, hence its services inherently lean towards Buddhist and Taoist beliefs.

Its comprehensive funeral service packages — which include cremation fees — can be tailored to any religion, but ultimately, its columbarium is Chinese by design.

It’s also naturally pricier than our other entries, as it is a private crematorium. Rest assured, however, that clients regard it for transparent pricing.

Nonetheless, it isn’t a service we highly suggest for families who struggle with budget.

If you’re a devout observer of burial Feng Shui, however, and have the resources for it, why not give Nirvana Memorial Gardens a call to see if its services are to your liking?

Its office is located on Old Choa Chu Kang Road, which is a little difficult to visit without a private car. On the bright side, it offers a free shuttle service for visitors!

Just head over to its contact page on its official website for the schedule.

Its office is open daily but only until 5:15 PM, so if you’re looking to catch its free shuttle service, you might want to drop in earlier in the day.