What is the Cost of Living in Surrey BC?

Why Are So Many People Moving to Surrey?

Surrey is the second-largest city in British Columbia, with a population of 733,760 in BC Stats' latest estimate, and it's one of the fastest-growing cities in the province. The reason usually comes down to money. You get more space for your budget than in Vancouver, Burnaby or Richmond, and you're still on the Expo Line, about 40 minutes from Surrey Central to Waterfront Station downtown. The Surrey-Langley SkyTrain, which TransLink expects to open in 2029, will extend that line 16 km east along Fraser Highway to Langley City. The video above was filmed in 2024, so every number in this post has been updated to 2026. Here's what living in Surrey actually costs right now.

How Much Does Housing Cost in Surrey?

Housing is the biggest line in your budget, and rents have come down over the last year. As of July 2026, Rentals.ca had average asking rent in Surrey at $1,794 a month for a 1-bedroom and $2,239 for a 2-bedroom, and Zumper's September 2026 numbers put a typical 2-bedroom around $2,200. Those are asking rents for vacant units, so a newer concrete building near a SkyTrain station will sit above that average, while an older low-rise in North Surrey or Newton often comes in under it. Rentals.ca also had Surrey 1-bedroom rents down 4.6% year over year in June 2026, which gives you a bit more room to negotiate than renters had in 2024. If you're watching every dollar, our guide to the most affordable neighbourhoods in Surrey shows where your rent or mortgage goes furthest.

If you're buying, the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board splits Surrey into separate areas, and the gap between them is big. A North Surrey apartment had a Benchmark price of $401,400 in August 2026, while a detached home in South Surrey and White Rock was $1,649,200. Every one of the numbers below was lower than a year earlier, which is why buyers in 2026 are taking their time. Before you settle on a budget, add property tax, home insurance and, for a condo or townhouse, monthly strata fees on top of your mortgage payment.

*Benchmark prices, Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, August 2026.

What Do Utilities and Internet Cost in Surrey?

If you rent an apartment, your main utility bill is BC Hydro, and it's the easiest one to predict. BC Hydro's residential rate is a basic charge of 23.44 cents a day, plus 11.87 cents per kWh for roughly the first 675 kWh a month and 14.08 cents after that. A 2-bedroom apartment using 400 to 600 kWh a month works out to about $55 to $80 before taxes and riders. Plenty of Surrey apartments have electric baseboard heat, so your winter bills will run higher than your summer ones. Check whether heat and hot water are included before you sign, because it changes the math.

Own a house, and the City of Surrey bills you directly for the rest. In 2026, garbage, recycling and organics collection is $344.08 a year and the drainage parcel tax is $250.71, and the city's own figures put an average metered single-family home at $508.17 for water and $747.46 for sewer. Together that's about $1,850 a year, or roughly $155 a month, on top of hydro and FortisBC gas if your home has it. Internet is the easy part: most 500 Mbps plans from Rogers and Telus advertise around $80 a month on a 2-year promo. Check the regular price before you sign, though, because it can jump by as much as $50 a month once the promo ends.

How Much Does It Cost to Get Around Surrey?

Since July 1, 2026, a TransLink 1-zone monthly pass costs $117.20, which covers buses anywhere in Surrey and SkyTrain trips within the zone. If you commute into Vancouver on weekdays, you'll need a 3-zone pass at $211.65, while a single 3-zone trip on Compass stored value is $5.40. Buses are always a 1-zone fare, so a bus-only commute stays at $117.20 no matter how far you ride. Transit works well along the King George Boulevard and Fraser Highway corridors, but it thins out quickly once you're away from them, especially in South Surrey and Cloverdale.

That's why a car is close to essential in much of Surrey, and owning one adds up fast. ICBC has frozen basic insurance rates through spring 2027, so at least that part of the bill isn't climbing, but once you add gas, parking and maintenance, a car can easily cost more each month than a 3-zone pass. When the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain opens, living near one of its new stations along Fraser Highway could let some households drop a second car. If you're weighing that commute against a move further east, our Surrey vs Langley comparison walks through the trade-offs.

What About Groceries and Eating Out?

Food is where Surrey can quietly save you money, especially if you like to cook. You've got Costco on King George Boulevard in Newton, a full-size grocery store in every town centre, like the Save-On-Foods in Guildford, and independent South Asian and Asian grocers along Scott Road and in Newton that often beat the chains on produce and spices. Eating out is the same story. Newton, Strawberry Hill and King George Boulevard are full of Indian, Filipino and Vietnamese spots where a filling meal costs noticeably less than a similar one downtown. Your grocery bill will still follow the same inflation everyone in BC is feeling, so budget for what your household actually eats rather than an average.

Is Surrey Cheaper Than Vancouver?

Yes, and the gap is real. Rentals.ca had a Vancouver 1-bedroom asking $2,392 a month in June 2026, against $1,803 in Surrey, a difference of about $590 a month or roughly $7,000 a year. On the buying side, Greater Vancouver's detached Benchmark price was $1,799,400 in August 2026, compared with $1,322,800 in Surrey-Central, and Greater Vancouver's apartment Benchmark of $686,200 sat well above Surrey-Central's $462,800. That's what makes Surrey an attractive option for first-time buyers, growing families and anyone who wants more space without leaving Metro Vancouver.

Surrey isn't the right fit for everyone, though. If you work downtown, don't want to drive and want to walk to most of what you need, the savings can disappear into commute time and a second car, and a spot near the Expo Line in Burnaby or New Westminster may suit you better even at a higher rent. If your priority is the most space for your money and you're fine driving, Surrey is hard to beat in Metro Vancouver, and the neighbourhood you pick matters more than the city.

What Should You Budget to Live in Surrey?

Here's a simple monthly picture for a renter, using the current numbers above. It leaves out groceries, your phone, tenant insurance and a car, because those depend on how you live, but it covers the costs every renter in Surrey pays.

*Rent: Rentals.ca, July 2026. BC Hydro: estimate from BC Hydro's published residential rates, before taxes and riders. Internet: advertised 2-year promo pricing, September 2026. Transit: TransLink fares effective July 1, 2026.

The honest takeaway is that Surrey gives you real savings over Vancouver, especially on housing, but you'll only keep them if you pick a neighbourhood that fits how you get around. A cheaper rent far from the nearest SkyTrain station can cost you more once you add a car. If you're planning a move, our 2026 guide to living in Surrey covers the neighbourhoods, schools and commute questions that come after the budget.

Alex Dunbar Personal Real Estate Corporation

REAL Broker BC Ltd.  |  Living in the Lower Mainland

Buying, selling or investing in Surrey and the surrounding cities? Whether you're new to the area or a longtime local, I'll help you make the right move. Book a 30-minute no-pressure call with me and we'll figure out what works best for you.

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