Living in Surrey

In Surrey, unemployment is 8.6% (2021).

The city covered 316.4 km² in 2021. Population density was 1,797.9 people per km² in 2021. Foreign-born residents accounted for 51.7% of the population in 2021. The unemployment rate was 8.6% in May 2021. In May 2021, the foreign population was 113,555.

Last checked 2026-09-2418 sources

Population633,234people1 Jul 2022Official source · Statistics Canada

Median gross salary3,224EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file)

Unemployment rate8.6%country median 8.4% — 2% aboveOfficial source · Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population

PM2.5, annual mean2.58µg/m³country median 3.6 — 29% belowOfficial source · Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 annual daily-mean station observations, reproducibly aggregated as an arithmetic mean for eligible stations within 25 km of the target city coordinate. This is a derived place observation, not an asserted municipal monitor aggregate.

Which Canada-wide rules apply when you move to Surrey?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in CanadaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Surrey.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

26.1% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in May 2021.

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€857

Utilities, 85 m² flat€159

Transport pass€84

Internet, 60 Mbps€63

Mobile plan, 10 GB€32

Fitness club€30

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	29.99 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹⁸Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	63.43 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹⁸Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly	857.4 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹⁸Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	12.6 EUR	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹⁸Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	32.3 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Surrey. Jun 2026. Prices in Surrey¹⁷Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	83.99 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹⁸Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	158.7 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹⁸Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Households spending over 30% of income on rent	26.1 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹⁴Official
Dwellings	195,098 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada⁸Official
Average monthly rent (two-bedroom)	1,152 EUR/month	31 Oct 2023	CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey — Average Rents in Urban Centres (CSD table), October 2023¹Official

Is Surrey a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker44%strong on work, weak on safety · range 35–53%

Skilled employee51%strong on work, weak on safety · range 42–60%

Student30%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 19–41%

Family43%strong on family, weak on safety · range 32–54%

Retirement36%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 25–47%

Work and income

What is the typical salary in Surrey?

The median gross salary is about 3,224 EUR/month (2020). The regional series (home-region basis, 2020) is a separate labelled row in the table.

City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions.

Median gross salary: 3,224 EUR/month · Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file)¹⁵
Median gross salary (regional): 2,331 EUR/month · 2026-09-17 · www150.statcan.gc.ca¹⁶

What is the unemployment rate in Surrey?

The unemployment rate is 8.6 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹⁴

Unemployment across cities in CanadaUnemployment in Surrey is 8.6%. Of 515 cities with data, 125 have unemployment of 6 to under 8%.

125

108

0–22–44–66–88–1010–1212–1414–1616–1818–2020–22

Surrey 8.6%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median gross salary	3,224 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file)¹⁵Official
Median gross salary (regional)	2,331 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	www150.statcan.gc.ca¹⁶Official
Unemployment rate	8.6 %country median 8.4%	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹⁴Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Surrey. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Job Bank and public employment services — Public employment service

Government of Canada

Job SearchMigrant Support

Open official service

Open the Canada service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Surrey. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.

Mobility and administration

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Workers commuting by bicycle	0.3 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹⁴Official
Workers commuting by public transport	13.1 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹⁴Official
Workers walking to work	2.7 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹⁴Official
Destinations from nearest airport	75 count	13 Jun 2026	OpenFlights — routes.dat⁶Official
Nearest airport	YVR	13 Jun 2026	OurAirports — airports.csv⁷Official
Distance to nearest airport	24.3 km	13 Jun 2026	OurAirports — airports.csv⁷Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Surrey. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

IRCC newcomer language-learning services finder — State Language Course

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

For newcomers to Canada.

English, FrenchFree

Open official information

Open the full Canada section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Surrey.

Find courses near Surrey

Climate and air quality

Annual PM2.5 was 2.58 µg/m³ in 2024. Annual NO₂ was 8.09 µg/m³ in 2024.

Is the air quality good in Surrey?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 2.6 µg/m³ (2024) — within the WHO 2021 guideline.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

PM2.5 — annual mean: 2.58 µg/m³ · Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 annual daily-mean station observations, reproducibly aggregated as an arithmetic mean for eligible stations within 25 km of the target city coordinate. This is a derived place observation, not an asserted municipal monitor aggregate.⁴

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.52.6WHO 5 · EU 25

PM107.8WHO 15 · EU 40

NO₂8.1WHO 10 · EU 40

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in CanadaAnnual PM2.5 in Surrey is 2.6 µg/m³. Of 123 cities with data, 46 have annual PM2.5 of 3 to under 4 µg/m³.

1–22–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–1010–1113–1415–1616–1717–1820–2140–41

Surrey 2.6

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
NO₂ — annual mean	8.09 µg/m³country median 7.0	2024	Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 station DMean observation retained at source grain; no place value is asserted because the approved 25 km observation condition is not met.⁵Official
PM10 — annual mean	7.83 µg/m³country median 10.5	2024	Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 annual daily-mean station observations, reproducibly aggregated as an arithmetic mean for eligible stations within 25 km of the target city coordinate. This is a derived place observation, not an asserted municipal monitor aggregate.³Official
PM2.5 — annual mean	2.58 µg/m³country median 3.6	2024	Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 annual daily-mean station observations, reproducibly aggregated as an arithmetic mean for eligible stations within 25 km of the target city coordinate. This is a derived place observation, not an asserted municipal monitor aggregate.⁴Official
Monthly extreme high temperature	Jan 12.26 · Feb 13.62 · Mar 17.36 · Apr 22.75 · May 28.34 · Jun 29.52 · Jul 31.93 · Aug 31.04 · Sep 28.3 · Oct 20.72 · Nov 15.91 · Dec 13.21 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center²Official
Monthly extreme low temperature	Jan -10.66 · Feb -7.23 · Mar -4.73 · Apr 0.84 · May 4.15 · Jun 6.58 · Jul 10.33 · Aug 10.44 · Sep 7.85 · Oct 0.94 · Nov -8.84 · Dec -9.43 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center²Official
Average temperature by month	Jan 4.49 · Feb 4.71 · Mar 6.53 · Apr 9.07 · May 12.81 · Jun 15.27 · Jul 18.1 · Aug 18.27 · Sep 15.32 · Oct 10.8 · Nov 6.9 · Dec 4.27 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center²Official

Population and city profile

How many people live in Surrey?

The published population was 633,234 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada⁹

Foreign residents and their share come from different publications that count different groups (for example citizens of another country, or people born abroad, or of foreign origin), so 113,555 is not 44.6% of the population. Each row names its source.

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport82.1%
Foreign residents17.9%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	316.4 km²	2021	Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Surrey, CSD 5915005)¹²Official
Foreign-resident share	44.59 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁰Official
Foreign residents	113,555 people	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile 2021 characteristic 1512: not Canadian citizens, population in private households, 25% sample data, at CSD grain. This is the exact foreign-citizenship interpretation used for foreign population total; it is not immigrant status.¹³Official
Population density	1,798 people/km²	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile 2021 characteristic 6: population density per square kilometre at CSD grain. This is the exact CSD value; it is not a CMA or province observation.¹³Official
Population	633,234 people	1 Jul 2022	Statistics Canada⁹Official

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	51.7 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹⁴Official
Median age	38.4 years	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹¹Official

Alternatives for people set on Surrey

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Vancouver as a Surrey alternative in the same country

Better on 3 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2. Median gross pay, city cannot be compared like for like.

Median gross pay, city: €3,785 Vancouver vs €3,224 Surreyno percentage
Median gross pay, region: €2,702 Vancouver vs €2,331 Surrey+16%
Basic utilities, 85 m²: €87 Vancouver vs €159 Surrey−45%
Nearest airport: 10.9 km Vancouver vs 24.3 km Surrey−55%
A meal out: €17 Vancouver vs €13 Surrey+36%
Unemployment: 9.0% Vancouver vs 8.6% Surrey+5%
Residents: 706,012 Vancouver vs 633,234 Surrey+11%

Full comparison More about Vancouver

Alternative cities in Canada

Other cities in Canada to compare with Surrey, nearest in population first.

All Canada cities

Brampton656,480 residents Hamilton597,010 residents Vancouver706,012 residents Mississauga717,961 residents Québec557,390 residents Winnipeg749,607 residents

How does Surrey compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Surrey's.

Open the full comparison

Surrey in rankings

#10 of 30 in Largest cities in Canada #14 of 30 in Cities with cleanest air in Canada

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Surrey when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Put Surrey's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Surrey?

The published population was 633,234 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada.

Is the air quality good in Surrey?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 2.6 µg/m³ (2024) — within the WHO 2021 guideline. Source: Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 annual daily-mean station observations, reproducibly aggregated as an arithmetic mean for eligible stations within 25 km of the target city coordinate. This is a derived place observation, not an asserted municipal monitor aggregate..

What is the typical salary in Surrey?

The median gross salary is about 3,224 EUR/month (2020). The regional series (home-region basis, 2020) is a separate labelled row in the table. Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file).

What is the unemployment rate in Surrey?

The unemployment rate is 8.6 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population.

What is the typical salary around Surrey?

The median gross salary is 2,331 EUR/month. Source: www150.statcan.gc.ca.

How many foreign residents live in Surrey?

113,555 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Statistics Canada Census Profile 2021 characteristic 1512: not Canadian citizens, population in private households, 25% sample data, at CSD grain. This is the exact foreign-citizenship interpretation used for foreign population total; it is not immigrant status..

Is Surrey a good place to live?

Surrey may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Surrey, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 299c1ca35465214843df972f039c464e]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/surrey/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_surrey-canada-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_e5a2d0fe73e9,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Surrey, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {299c1ca35465214843df972f039c464e},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/surrey/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Surrey, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/surrey/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 299c1ca35465214843df972f039c464e; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey — Average Rents in Urban Centres (CSD table), October 2023 CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey · assets.cmhc-schl.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-18
NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 annual daily-mean station observations, reproducibly aggregated as an arithmetic mean for eligible stations within 25 km of the target city coordinate. This is a derived place observation, not an asserted municipal monitor aggregate. data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-15
Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 annual daily-mean station observations, reproducibly aggregated as an arithmetic mean for eligible stations within 25 km of the target city coordinate. This is a derived place observation, not an asserted municipal monitor aggregate. data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-15
Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 station DMean observation retained at source grain; no place value is asserted because the approved 25 km observation condition is not met. data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-15
OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03

Show 8 more sources

Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Surrey, CSD 5915005) Statistics Canada · www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-14
Statistics Canada Census Profile 2021 characteristic 1512: not Canadian citizens, population in private households, 25% sample data, at CSD grain. This is the exact foreign-citizenship interpretation used for foreign population total; it is not immigrant status. api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2021-05-11
Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-16
Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file) www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-19
www150.statcan.gc.ca www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-27
Cost of Living in Surrey. Jun 2026. Prices in Surrey numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.