Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surrey, Canada and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Surrey: $2,338 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Surrey
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Surrey Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Surrey

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,338

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surrey and in Vancouver

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Surrey and in Vancouver actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,338 in Surrey versus $2,725 in Vancouver.

Surrey $2,338
Vancouver $2,725

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,564 in Surrey versus $4,039 in Vancouver.

Surrey $3,564
Vancouver $4,039

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,791 in Surrey versus $5,352 in Vancouver.

Surrey $4,791
Vancouver $5,352

Living in Surrey costs roughly 14% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Surrey 72% above, Vancouver 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.11 CA$25.31

$17.65 CA$24.66

2.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 CA$80.3

$72.4 CA$101

-20.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.06 CA$14.06

$10.84 CA$15.14

-7.20%

Cappuccino

$3.52 CA$4.92

$3.91 CA$5.47

-9.97%

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

$2.01 CA$2.81

$2.10 CA$2.94

-4.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.10

$1.64 CA$2.29

-8.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 CA$8.40

$5.74 CA$8.02

4.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 CA$7.87

$6.36 CA$8.89

-11.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.47 CA$3.46

$2.21 CA$3.09

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 CA$2.94

$2.64 CA$3.69

-20.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.64 CA$5.09

$4.68 CA$6.54

-22.22%

Eggs

$3.22 CA$4.50

$4.24 CA$5.92

-24.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 CA$13.65

$11.92 CA$16.66

-18.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 CA$14.78

$13.12 CA$18.34

-19.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.34 CA$28.42

$20.40 CA$28.51

-0.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.65

$4.10 CA$5.73

-18.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.82

$1.38 CA$1.92

-5.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.10

$3.83 CA$5.35

-23.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.23

$3.92 CA$5.47

-22.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 CA$3.62

$2.77 CA$3.88

-6.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CA$3.01

$2.84 CA$3.96

-24.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 CA$2.80

$2.60 CA$3.63

-23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 CA$2.56

$1.59 CA$2.23

15.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 CA$19.72

$15.87 CA$22.17

-11.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 CA$19.85

$14.00 CA$19.56

1.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CA$3.43

$2.57 CA$3.59

-4.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 CA$4.51

$3.01 CA$4.21

7.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 CA$154

$84.1 CA$118

31.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$2.67 CA$3.73

-1.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.58 CA$2.21

1.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.02 CA$39.15

$32.19 CA$44.98

-12.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CA$1.92

$1.45 CA$2.03

-4.83%

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

$28.2K CA$39.3K

$27.5K CA$38.4K

2.44%

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

$21.7K CA$30.3K

$21.3K CA$29.8K

1.80%

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

$187 CA$261

$82.5 CA$115

126.14%

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

$37.14 CA$51.9

$37.46 CA$52.3

-0.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.7 CA$91.9

$51.7 CA$72.2

27.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.83 CA$44.48

$40.52 CA$56.6

-21.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.35 CA$35.42

$12.69 CA$17.73

99.76%

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 CA$17.02

$12.66 CA$17.69

-3.79%

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

$668 CA$934

$1,080 CA$1,509

-38.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K CA$16.9K

$20.1K CA$28.1K

-40.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 CA$76.8

$58.5 CA$81.7

-5.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 CA$85.4

$34.10 CA$47.65

79.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 CA$139

$96.9 CA$135

2.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 CA$127

$97.4 CA$136

-6.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,376 CA$1,923

$1,813 CA$2,534

-24.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 CA$1,528

$1,576 CA$2,202

-30.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,606 CA$3,641

$3,217 CA$4,494

-18.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 CA$2,927

$2,651 CA$3,705

-20.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,631 CA$9,265

$8,590 CA$12.0K

-22.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,166 CA$7,218

$6,649 CA$9,291

-22.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,156 CA$4,410

$3,733 CA$5,216

-15.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

4.28

13.79%

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

Last update for Surrey: October 25, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Surrey

$1.1K 46.8%

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8% 44.1% $482

Groceries & Markets

Surrey

$357 15.3%

Vancouver

$401 14.7% 12.3% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surrey

$289 12.4%

Vancouver

$172 6.3% 40.7% $118

Eating Out

Surrey

$273 11.7%

Vancouver

$277 10.2% 1.6% $4.3

Clothing & Footwear

Surrey

$138 5.9%

Vancouver

$129 4.7% 6.4% $8.8

Getting Around

Surrey

$131 5.6%

Vancouver

$105 3.9% 20% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Surrey

$56 2.4%

Vancouver

$66 2.4% 17.2% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,376 in Surrey and $1,813 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 18% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $57 in Surrey vs $72 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $401 per month, with Surrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Surrey

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

16:10 4:10 PM

Same time as Surrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

517,887

631,486

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,338 in Surrey and $2,725 in Vancouver, so Surrey is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Surrey. 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: $1,376 in Surrey versus $1,813 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 $57 versus $72 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,338 per month in Surrey versus $2,725 in Vancouver – Surrey is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Surrey gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Surrey is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Vancouver, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Surrey wins on affordability, Vancouver on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.