Is it permissible for a Muslim to be buried in a Christian-majority country if the cost of shipping the body is high? And is the living more deserving than the dead? And what should be said upon seeing a Christian funeral, and is it permissible to participate in it?

There is no harm in burying a Muslim in the lands of the disbelievers, provided that he is not buried in their cemeteries. Evidence for this permissibility is the burial of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him, in Constantinople. It has not been authentically reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, or the Companions and their Successors, were keen to transport martyrs from the lands of disbelief. A Muslim should strive to reside in Muslim lands if possible, and this becomes obligatory if there is a fear of losing his religion or morals.

As for the funerals of disbelievers, the scholars have explicitly stated the prohibition of attending them. A Muslim should not wash his disbelieving parent, nor follow their funeral, nor enter their grave, due to the veneration implied and the fear of praying over them, which is forbidden by the text of the Holy Quran. Allah also forbade His Prophet from praying over the hypocrites and standing by their graves.

However, it is permissible to offer condolences to a disbeliever for their deceased and to visit a sick disbeliever, just as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, visited the young Jewish man and invited him to Islam.