Cost of Living Comparison Between Surrey and Vancouver Cost of Living Comparison Between Surrey and Vancouver

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,737 in Surrey versus $2,860 in Vancouver.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,155 in Surrey versus $4,199 in Vancouver.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,573 in Surrey versus $5,538 in Vancouver.

Living in Surrey costs roughly 4% less than in Vancouver, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Surrey 104% above, Vancouver 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.61 CA$25.99

$18.50 CA$25.84

0.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 CA$112

$79.5 CA$111

0.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 CA$15.25

$11.11 CA$15.52

-1.71%

Cappuccino

$4.14 CA$5.78

$4.11 CA$5.74

0.73%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 CA$2.85

$2.21 CA$3.08

-7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.42

$1.75 CA$2.45

-1.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 CA$8.16

$5.77 CA$8.06

1.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.04

$7.45 CA$10.40

-3.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 CA$3.71

$2.20 CA$3.07

20.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$3.22 CA$4.49

-18.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.56 CA$7.77

$3.68 CA$5.14

51.09%

Eggs

$3.59 CA$5.02

$4.39 CA$6.13

-18.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 CA$14.55

$12.82 CA$17.90

-18.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.79 CA$16.47

$14.20 CA$19.82

-16.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.99 CA$34.90

$16.04 CA$22.40

55.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.83

$4.38 CA$6.12

-21.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 CA$1.87

$1.53 CA$2.13

-12.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 CA$4.30

$4.07 CA$5.68

-24.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 CA$4.92

$5.18 CA$7.23

-31.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 CA$3.35

$3.05 CA$4.25

-21.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 CA$2.82

$2.96 CA$4.14

-31.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.47

$2.73 CA$3.81

-9.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 CA$2.83

$1.87 CA$2.61

8.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.57 CA$20.35

$15.40 CA$21.51

-5.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.30 CA$19.98

$14.32 CA$20.00

-0.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.82 CA$5.33

$3.11 CA$4.35

22.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 CA$5.55

$3.66 CA$5.12

8.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$2.41 CA$3.37

28.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$129 CA$181

$82.6 CA$115

56.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 CA$3.76

$3.65 CA$5.10

-26.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.06

$1.49 CA$2.08

-1.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.31 CA$39.53

$26.94 CA$37.63

5.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.28 CA$1.78

5.47%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$24.7K CA$34.5K

$24.9K CA$34.8K

-0.90%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$20.7K CA$29.0K

$21.0K CA$29.3K

-1.19%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$188 CA$263

$92.2 CA$129

104.08%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$42.02 CA$58.7

$40.43 CA$56.5

3.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.8 CA$94.7

$62.0 CA$86.6

9.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.10 CA$61.6

$44.57 CA$62.2

-1.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 CA$25.29

$15.75 CA$21.99

14.98%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 CA$17.22

$12.19 CA$17.02

1.15%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$907 CA$1,267

$1,164 CA$1,625

-22.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K CA$17.5K

$18.1K CA$25.3K

-30.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 CA$79.5

$62.9 CA$87.9

-9.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 CA$74.8

$42.23 CA$59.0

26.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 CA$147

$98.0 CA$137

7.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.8 CA$132

$118 CA$165

-19.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 CA$2,278

$1,977 CA$2,761

-17.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 CA$1,904

$1,665 CA$2,325

-18.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,112 CA$4,346

$3,579 CA$4,997

-13.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,444 CA$3,413

$2,798 CA$3,907

-12.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,608 CA$13.4K

$8,881 CA$12.4K

8.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,793 CA$12.3K

$6,873 CA$9,598

27.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,153 CA$4,403

$3,432 CA$4,792

-8.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

5.61

16.58%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Surrey: June 8, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,631 in Surrey and $1,977 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $80.0 in Surrey vs $80.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $411 vs $417 per month, with Surrey cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Surrey vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surrey and Vancouver differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,737 vs $2,860 including rent). Surrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Vancouver earns 9% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,631 in Surrey versus $1,977 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Surrey – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $80.0 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,737 per month in Surrey versus $2,860 in Vancouver – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Surrey is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Surrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.