How much does a headstone cost in Portugal?
It is the question we are asked more than any other, and the one almost nobody in this trade answers without first asking for your phone number.
Here is the whole answer: what pushes the price up and down, our full table — from 35 € to 230 € —, what is and is not included, and what other Portuguese firms charge, with a link to the page where each figure is published.
What pushes the price up and down
Seven things, and they are worth knowing before comparing two quotes — because two figures can only be compared once you know what each one covers.
The size
It weighs most, for a simple reason: it is more stone. A 14×22 cm plaque and a 40×30 cm one take the same design work, but not the same material nor the same machine time.
The stone
People know marble and granite, and it is natural for them to ask for those. We work in slate: it is lighter — which counts when the piece goes by courier —, it is cheaper, and it is the one that takes a colour photograph most sharply. Granite is heavier and dearer; marble is the most delicate of the three against acid rain and cleaning products.
How many people it carries
A couple, the parents, the grandparents. Two photographs and two names need room, and the price rises because it is more stone — not because there are two photos. Three people call for a larger piece still.
What gets engraved
Colour photograph, name, dates, an inscription. Some firms charge for the photograph separately, or limit the number of letters. It is always worth asking what is inside the price before comparing two figures.
The fitting
A piece delivered to your home and a piece set on the grave by someone do not cost the same, and often they are not even the same company. Whoever includes fitting also includes travel and labour.
The cemetery permit
Many cemeteries require a permit or prior notice to place the headstone, with a fee from the parish or the council. It is not from the supplier of the piece — it is from the cemetery — but it is part of what the family will spend.
Shipping
Shipping changes with the destination and with the weight of the piece. A small plaque to Porto and a half-metre piece to the Azores do not cost the same to send.
The full table, without asking for a quote
Slate headstones and plaques, engraved in our workshop in Maia, Porto. All figures include VAT, the colour photograph, the name, the dates, the inscription and the fixing support. There are no extras.
| Size | Shape | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 14×22 cm | Retangular | 35 € |
| 20×20 cm | Retangular | 49 € |
| 20×30 cm (folha A4) | Retangular | 75 € |
| 25×25 cm | Coração | 75 € |
| 30×20 cm | Retangular | 90 € |
| 24×32 cm | Retangular | 100 € |
| 32×24 cm | Retangular | 120 € |
| 30×40 cm | Retangular | 130 € |
| 40×30 cm | Retangular | 150 € |
| 53×33 cm (meio metro) | Retangular | 230 € |
Which one suits your case
The right question is not which is cheapest — it is which fits the space you have and leaves the face visible. On the 20×30 cm one, the size of an A4 sheet, the face reads standing in front of the grave. On a 14×22 cm one the photograph is the size of half a hand.
If the space on the grave is small, we tell you the small one is what suits — and we lose the difference. That is the reason you can believe us when we say the opposite.
You don't know the measurement? You don't need to carry a tape measure. Next time you go to the cemetery, take a photograph of the space with an A4 sheet or a phone laid on it, and we take the measurement from that.
What is included — and what is not
The second part is the one that almost never gets written down, and it is the one that produces the surprises.
In the price
- The photograph engraved in colour
- The name and the dates
- Whatever inscription you want engraved
- The fixing support
- The design of the piece, before you decide
- VAT
Not in the price
- Shipping
- Shipping is worked out separately, because it changes with the destination and with the weight. We state it in the quote, before you decide — it never turns up at the end as a surprise. We ship across the whole country, including the Azores and Madeira, and to eight countries in Europe.
- Fitting on the grave
- We supply the piece engraved and ready to set, with a fixing support. Whoever sets it is the family, a local mason or the funeral director.
- The cemetery permit
- It is requested from the parish council or the municipality the cemetery belongs to, and it has a fee of its own.
What other firms charge in Portugal
We publish this because the question "is it expensive?" almost always means "I have nothing to compare it with". Each figure has a link to the page where it is published, and was opened and confirmed on 22/08/2026. Other firms' prices change — if you find a difference, their page is the one that counts.
Firms that sell online, like us
Pieces sent by courier, with no fitting included. It is the fairest comparison there is for what we do.
| Firm | Piece | Published price | What the source says is included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lápides D'Saudade | Slate headstone 20×30 cm (A4 sheet), photograph engraved in colour | 75 € (VAT included) | Colour photograph, name, dates, inscription, fixing support and the design before you decide. Shipping separate. |
| BS Stone | Headstone (models PL1 to PL9 and PL-BS) | desde 113,54 € a 132,46 € | The published price is that of the headstone. The page does not detail what the engraving includes. Source |
| Tilpix | Grey granite headstone with a porcelain plate | a partir de 170,00 € | Photo-ceramic on a porcelain plate, with image retouching, background or clothing replacement on request, cut-out from a group photograph and text with no letter limit. Source |
| Tilpix | White marble headstone 30×24 cm, with a 17.5×22.5 cm porcelain plate | 225,00 € (IVA incluído) | Photo-ceramic on a porcelain plate, image retouching, background or clothing replacement on request, cut-out from a group photograph and text with no letter limit. The page states neither shipping nor fitting. Source |
The honest reading of these figures: in the online segment, our 20×30 cm piece comes in below the others, but in the same order of magnitude — it is not a difference of several times over, it is a difference of tens of euros. The pieces are not alike: the others are granite or marble, with the photograph on an applied porcelain plate; ours is slate with the photograph engraved directly into the stone.
The big difference — the one of several times over — is not against these firms. It is against the other route, the monumental mason with fitting, which is explained next.
The traditional route: a monumental mason, with fitting
It is a different service, not the same one more expensive. A mason makes the piece to measure in marble or granite, delivers it, sets it at the cemetery and handles the permits. There is travel, labour and responsibility for the work done.
Marmorista Rosa (desde 1981), for instance, delivers and installs anywhere in the country, handles the cemetery placement permits, and exports with international transport. It publishes no prices: you have to ask for a quote by phone or email, as is the norm in the trade.
For a public order of magnitude for this route, a Portuguese funeral cost guide puts 300 € a 1 500 € on the headstone or inscription, within a traditional burial of 1 600 € a 3 000 € that includes the grave concession, opening and closing the grave, the headstone or inscription, and municipal fees. Source
Two trade practices worth asking about, whoever you choose
They are nobody's fault — they are published conditions, and it is fair that whoever buys should know them beforehand. At one Portuguese online firm, the FAQ says:
- “O tempo limite para pagamento são 3 dias após a finalização da encomenda.” Source
- “Em trabalhos personalizados não aceitamos devoluções ou trocas.” Source
Quoted exactly as written, in Portuguese: translating a quotation is giving up the ability to check it. The link goes to the original page.
With us it is the other way round, and it is the one thing we ask you to compare properly: you see the design of the piece before we engrave anything at all, and you only pay after approving it. There is no deposit or advance. If the piece arrives different from the design you approved, we correct or replace it at no cost.
Pieces engraved to order are not covered by the 14-day right of withdrawal, under article 17 of Portuguese Decree-Law no. 24/2014 — at any firm. That is precisely why prior approval of the design matters so much.
When we are not the right choice
We would rather say this before selling you anything. Look for a local monumental mason if:
- You need the whole grave — kerbs, headstone, slab, frame. We make the engraved plaque, not the stonework.
- You want someone to set the piece on the grave. Ours arrives ready to set, but whoever sets it is the family or a local professional.
- You want the permit handled for you. Some masons make the application at the council; we do not.
- You really want marble or granite. We work in slate, and we are not going to pretend otherwise to keep the order.
If what you need is the stone with the name, the dates and the face — for a grave that already exists, for a niche or for a vault — then that is what we do, and that is why it costs what it costs.
Want the right price for your case?
Tell us the measurement of the space, or send a photograph of it, and we will tell you which piece suits and what it comes to, with shipping in the calculation.
Questions about prices
How much does a headstone cost in Portugal?
It depends a great deal on the route. A slate headstone with a colour photograph bought online costs between 35 € and 230 € in our sizes, with VAT and the engraving included. Other online firms publish figures between 113 € and 225 € depending on the material and the size. A marble or granite headstone made by a traditional monumental mason, with fitting on the grave, sits in a different order of magnitude: a public funeral cost guide puts 300 € a 1 500 € on the headstone or inscription within a traditional burial. Shipping and the cemetery permit are separate in either case.
Which size do most families choose?
The 20×30 cm one, the size of an A4 sheet, at 75 €. Not because it is the middle one: because at that size the face in the photograph reads standing, in front of the grave. On a 14×22 cm piece the photograph is the size of half a hand. If the available space is small, we tell you so and recommend the small one — even losing the difference.
Is shipping included in the price?
No. Shipping is worked out separately because it changes with the destination and with the weight of the piece, and it is stated in the quote before you decide — it never turns up at the end as a surprise. We ship across the whole country, including the Azores and Madeira, and to eight European countries.
Why are your pieces cheaper than a monumental mason's?
Because they are not the same thing. A mason makes the whole grave in marble or granite, delivers it, sets the piece at the cemetery and often handles the permit — it is building work, with travel and labour. We make the engraved plaque, in slate, and send it ready to set. For someone who already has the grave built and only wants the stone with the name and the face, it is what suits. For someone who needs the whole grave, the mason is the right choice.
Do I have to pay anything up front?
No. We do the design of the piece first, we show it to you, and only after you approve it is there payment — by MB Way. There is no deposit or advance. It is the opposite of what is common in the trade: some online firms ask for payment a few days after the order, before any design proof.
Does the price change if the photograph is old or damaged?
No. Image treatment is included in the price, whatever the state of the photograph. What can happen is that we tell you that photograph does not have enough sharpness to engrave — and we say it before there is any commitment, not at the end.
Do you give discounts?
We do not work with discounts. The table price is the price, and it is the same for everyone. What we do is help you choose the right size for the space you have, which is where you really save.
Sources of the prices quoted
All opened and confirmed on 22/08/2026. We publish the links so you can check everything written above.
- BS Stone — Lápides
- Tilpix — Lápides
- Tilpix — Lápide mármore branco 30×24 cm
- Marmorista Rosa — Lápides
- Funerárias Unidas — guia de custos de funerais em Portugal
- Lápides e Placas — Perguntas Frequentes
If the cemetery's waiting period has not passed yet, you do not have to decide anything today — we keep your project until the stone can be placed.
The right price depends on the space you have
Send a photograph of the space on the grave and we will tell you which piece suits and what it comes to — without committing to anything.