Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Surrey, Canada

Name: Surrey
Address: Surrey, CA

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.

130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
Learn more

Vancouver Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Surrey
Learn more

Surrey Living Index

Jump to prices

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Surrey

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,338

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Surrey

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

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

Vancouver $2,725
Surrey $2,338

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

Vancouver $4,039
Surrey $3,564

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

Vancouver $5,352
Surrey $4,791

Living in Vancouver is roughly 17% more expensive than in Surrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.66

$18.11 CA$25.31

-2.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$101

$57.5 CA$80.3

25.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.14

$10.06 CA$14.06

7.75%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.47

$3.52 CA$4.92

11.08%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$2.01 CA$2.81

4.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$1.50 CA$2.10

9.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.02

$6.01 CA$8.40

-4.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.89

$5.63 CA$7.87

12.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$2.47 CA$3.46

-10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$2.10 CA$2.94

25.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.54

$3.64 CA$5.09

28.57%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.92

$3.22 CA$4.50

31.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.66

$9.77 CA$13.65

22.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.34

$10.57 CA$14.78

24.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.51

$20.34 CA$28.42

0.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.73

$3.33 CA$4.65

23.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.92

$1.30 CA$1.82

6.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.35

$2.94 CA$4.10

30.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.47

$3.02 CA$4.23

29.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$2.59 CA$3.62

6.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.96

$2.15 CA$3.01

32.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.63

$2.00 CA$2.80

30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.23

$1.83 CA$2.56

-13.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.17

$14.11 CA$19.72

12.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.56

$14.20 CA$19.85

-1.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.59

$2.45 CA$3.43

4.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.21

$3.23 CA$4.51

-6.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$110 CA$154

-23.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$2.64 CA$3.69

1.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.60 CA$2.23

-1.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$44.98

$28.02 CA$39.15

14.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.38 CA$1.92

5.07%

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

$27.5K CA$38.4K

$28.2K CA$39.3K

-2.38%

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

$21.3K CA$29.8K

$21.7K CA$30.3K

-1.77%

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

$82.5 CA$115

$187 CA$261

-55.78%

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

$37.46 CA$52.3

$37.14 CA$51.9

0.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.2

$65.7 CA$91.9

-21.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.6

$31.83 CA$44.48

27.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.73

$25.35 CA$35.42

-49.94%

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.69

$12.18 CA$17.02

3.94%

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

$1,080 CA$1,509

$668 CA$934

61.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.1K

$12.1K CA$16.9K

66.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$81.7

$55.0 CA$76.8

6.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.65

$61.1 CA$85.4

-44.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$135

$99.5 CA$139

-2.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$136

$90.8 CA$127

7.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,534

$1,376 CA$1,923

31.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,202

$1,094 CA$1,528

44.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,494

$2,606 CA$3,641

23.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,705

$2,095 CA$2,927

26.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.0K

$6,631 CA$9,265

29.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,291

$5,166 CA$7,218

28.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,216

$3,156 CA$4,410

18.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.87

-12.11%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Surrey: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Surrey

$1.1K 46.8% 30.6% $482

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Surrey

$357 15.3% 11% $44

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Surrey

$273 11.7% 1.6% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Surrey

$289 12.4% 68.6% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Surrey

$138 5.9% 6.8% $8.8

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Surrey

$131 5.6% 25.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Surrey

$56 2.4% 14.7% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,813 in Vancouver and $1,376 in Surrey. 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: $72 in Vancouver vs $57 in Surrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $357 per month, with Surrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Surrey

🕒 Local time

16:59 4:59 PM

Same time as Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

517,887

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Vancouver Surrey 21 km

From you

Vancouver
Surrey

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Vancouver vs Surrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 18% higher in Vancouver, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,813 in Vancouver versus $1,376 in Surrey. 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 $2,725 per month in Vancouver versus $2,338 in Surrey – 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.