Farmland, forest and new subdivisions sprawl across Surrey, so expect to drive or ride the SkyTrain. It is the second-largest city in British Columbia, home to roughly 570,000 people, and it keeps growing faster than almost anywhere else around Vancouver. Newton and Guildford are strongly South Asian, and the food, shops and Punjabi signage reflect that. The April Vaisakhi parade in Newton is one of the biggest outside India.
Visitors tend to head for Bear Creek Park, the Green Timbers forest, the beach at Crescent Beach and Blackie Spit, or the Cloverdale rodeo in May. Fort Langley makes an easy day trip. The tradeoffs are real. Housing is expensive, though a bit easier than Vancouver itself. Crime severity runs somewhat above the national average, mostly car theft and break-ins, and the Whalley area near Surrey Central can feel rough late at night. Winters are gray and wet.
Trip planning at a glance
Peak season
June to September
Quieter season
November to March
Nearest airport
Vancouver International (YVR), 30 km west via Highway 99 (SkyTrain Expo and Canada lines about 60-75 minutes
Highlights
Bear Creek Park (gardens, miniature train, spray park)
Green Timbers Urban Forest
Surrey Museum and Historic Stewart Farm
Blackie Spit and Crescent Beach
Surrey Art Gallery
Holland Park
Central City shopping
Peace Arch Park at the US border
Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara and other Sikh heritage sites in Newton
Out of 10. Open any score to see how it’s worked out. “Data-based” scores come from published figures; “Hey! En Route estimate” scores are worked out from what we know about the city; “Hey! En Route rating” scores were set by our editors.
6.4/10Good
Connector Score8.4
15 worthwhile cities within three hours; reachable by road, intercity bus, air, and local transit; lodging and sights for an overnight stop. Hey! En Route estimate
Safety6.0
Crime Severity Index around 100; the Canadian figure is about 80. Data-based
Affordability5.7
Cost of living index about 108, where the national average is 100. Data-based
Transportation8.0
Reachable by: road, intercity bus, air, and local transit. Hey! En Route estimate
Car-free friendliness5.0
Intercity train or bus, plus local transit and walkability. Hey! En Route estimate
Walkability5.4
Estimated from city size and transit; no walkable downtown noted. Hey! En Route estimate
Things to do7.0
Known for 6 kinds of attraction, with 7 annual events listed. Hey! En Route estimate
Food & dining6.5
A known food scene, weighted by city size. Hey! En Route estimate
Places to stay6.7
Lodging at budget, mid-range and luxury prices. Hey! En Route estimate
Nature & outdoors3.5
Known for beaches. Hey! En Route estimate
Scenic value4.5
From its landscape: coast, mountains, lakes and parks. Hey! En Route estimate
Family friendliness5.2
Zoos, aquariums, theme parks and museums, weighted by safety. Hey! En Route estimate
Solo-traveler friendliness5.2
Safety, getting around without a car, hostels, and things to do. Hey! En Route estimate
Nightlife5.4
Estimated from city size and live music. Hey! En Route estimate
Remote-work friendliness6.1
City size, affordability, cafés and connections. Hey! En Route estimate
Road-trip convenience6.5
15 worthwhile cities within three hours’ drive, plus parking, EV charging and RV options. Hey! En Route estimate
Train-trip convenience1.0
No intercity train service noted. Hey! En Route estimate
Bus-trip convenience7.3
Intercity buses, with 8 nearby cities reachable by bus. Hey! En Route estimate
City of Parks; The Fastest Growing City in Metro Vancouver; Surrey Central; Canada's second-largest city in British Columbia
Founded
1879 municipality incorporated (Municipality of Surrey); 1993 incorporated as City of Surrey
Languages
English (dominant); French is an official federal language with limited everyday use; Punjabi is the most common immigrant language and very visible in Newton and Guildford, followed by Hindi, Mandarin, Tagalog, Korean, Cantonese and Arabic; First Nations lands of the Semiahmoo, Kwantlen and Katzie peoples
Airports
Vancouver International (YVR), about 30 km west via Highway 99 (SkyTrain Expo and Canada lines about 60-75 minutes); Abbotsford International (YXX), about 40 km east; Bellingham International (BLI), Washington, about 60 km south (Peace Arch border crossing about 20 km); Boundary Bay Airport (CZBB) is general aviation only
Tipping
Restaurants 15-20% of the pre-tax bill (taxes are added on top of listed prices, and tipping is on the pre-tax amount); bars $1-2 per drink or 15-20% of tab; taxis and rideshare 10-15%; hotel housekeeping $3-5 CAD per night; bellhops $2-5 CAD per bag; tour guides 10-15%; counter service optional (all amounts CAD; BC adds 5% GST plus 7% PST on most goods, and hotels add 8% provincial hotel tax plus municipal tax on top of listed prices)
Community signals
Not enough responses yet to show a trend.
Surrey City Circle
For people considering Surrey, visiting soon, living there for a while, or comparing it with somewhere else.
Population 568,322 is the 2021 Census figure from Statistics Canada (city of Surrey census subdivision; a Statistics Canada Focus on Geography Series page was seen in search results but not opened, so lower confidence; later estimates run notably higher, near 650,000); metro is the Vancouver CMA figure 2,642,825 as specified. Land area 316.4 sq km per 2021 Census (recalled). Web fetch was not used; snippets only. Visitor URL is Visit Surrey (visitsurrey.com) seen in search results, described as Surrey's official tourism website; a separate site discoversurreybc.com also appeared and events page was seen there. Elevation, coordinates, founding, event months, hotel ranges, tipping, cost-of-living comparisons, crime index, rent, home prices and airport distances are approximate or from general knowledge and not verified. Official URLs found via search but not load-tested. All money in CAD.
Last verified September 25, 2026 · Source: Research spreadsheet · Editorial ·
Per person per day, with a room shared by two. Change anything below to fit your trip.
Budget
$118/day
Lodging about CA$135 a night
Mid-range
$172/day
Lodging about CA$205 a night
Luxury
$282/day
Lodging about CA$330 a night
Budget calculator
Vehicle
mpg
These are estimates from typical prices, not quotes. Real costs vary with season, events, booking time and your own habits; taxes and fees are approximate.
Cost of living
For longer stays and relocation.
Cost of living index
108 (national average = 100)
Typical 1-bedroom rent
CA$2,200a month
Median home price
CA$1,150,000
Research notes
Roughly 5-10% above the Canadian average (housing well above) and slightly below Vancouver proper, comparable to mid-size US coastal cities (approximate, from common indices); typical 1BR rent about $2,100-2,300 CAD per month on listing sites (approximate)
Real estate
Buying or renting long-term: prices, trends and the rules.
Median home
CA$1,150,000
Mortgage calculator
Benchmark home price about $1.1-1.2M CAD citywide (FVREB, approximate; detached about $1.6-1.8M CAD, townhouses about $850,000-900,000 CAD, condos about $500,000-550,000 CAD); average 1BR rent about $2,100-2,300 CAD; market trend: high prices with softer sales and flat to slightly falling values since 2023 (not verified this pass)
Research notes on prices and seasons
Hotels per night (CAD, before 5% GST, 8% provincial hotel tax and municipal tax): budget $110-160; mid-range $160-250; luxury $260-400. Peak season is June to September; November to March is cheapest. Rough daily visitor budget excluding lodging: $100-180 CAD
Where to stay
Which part of town suits which kind of trip.
City Centre near Surrey Central SkyTrain for transit access to Vancouver and business trips
Guildford for shopping and Highway 1 access
South Surrey and Semiahmoo for a quieter, beach-oriented stay near the US border
Cloverdale near the rodeo grounds and casino
Vancouver downtown for sightseeing (about 45 minutes by SkyTrain). Tiers: budget motels and hostel-style inns along King George Boulevard
Safety information is a guide from public data and our research, not a guarantee. Conditions change; check local news and official advice before you go.
6.0
Good · Data-based
Crime Severity Index around 100; the Canadian figure is about 80.
Safety overview
Surrey's Crime Severity Index is somewhat above the national average, mainly from property crime and vehicle theft (roughly 90-110, approximate, Statistics Canada; police data from Surrey Police Service and RCMP show car theft, break-ins and targeted shootings as key issues); the city is moving from RCMP to Surrey Police Service. Health care: BC MSP does not cover visitors, so travel health insurance is advisable. Hospitals: Surrey Memorial Hospital (largest, trauma), Peace Arch Hospital (White Rock), Delta Hospital nearby, Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre. Hazards: wet gray winters, rare snow and ice, summer wildfire smoke episodes, Fraser River and atmospheric-river flooding in low-lying farmland, earthquake zone (Cascadia). Emergency 911
Local notes
Specific places where extra care is worthwhile, especially at night. Most visits are trouble-free.
Use extra caution late at night along parts of the 135A Street and King George Boulevard corridor in Whalley near Surrey Central, where street disorder, open drug use and property crime are concentrated; Surrey has also had extortion and targeted shooting incidents linked to organized crime, mostly not involving visitors. Most visitor areas including South Surrey, Cloverdale and Fleetwood are generally fine by day and night
Times marked “est.” are estimates: drives use typical road distances at highway speeds, and train or bus times assume both cities have service. Always check a route planner and timetables before you travel.
Route ideas
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