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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Surrey for students: rent $2,420/mo, cost index 124 vs UK median 106, 1 university. Compared to 2 other British Columbia cities below.
Surrey for students: rent $2,420/mo, cost index 124 vs UK median 106, 1 university. Compared to 2 other British Columbia cities below.
Surrey: cost index 124 (+18 vs national avg 106), rent $2,420/month.
British Columbia region average cost index: 126. Surrey is -2 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 54/100 — safety 58, healthcare 72, walkability 42.
Safety score: 58/100 (crime rate 68.5/1k). National average: 63/100.
Most comparisons stop at rent. We didn't. Surrey has a cost index of 124 — 18 points above the Canada national average of 106. Median income is $74,000 with rent at $2,420/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 39%. This combination is rare — and valuable.
On quality of life, Surrey scores a composite score of 54/100 — reflecting its safety (58), healthcare (72), and walkability (42) metrics. Context matters here. affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Canada is a good example of that tension.
Surrey — cost index 124, rent $2,420/mo, income $74,000, QoL 54/100.
Victoria — cost index 120, rent $2,300/mo, income $76,000, QoL 66/100.
Vancouver — cost index 134, rent $2,850/mo, income $80,000, QoL 59/100.
Surrey scores 54/100 on the relevant index for students — with rent of $2,420/month and cost index 124 (18 points above the national average of 106).
The British Columbia region of average QoL score is 60/100. Surrey leads with 54/100, reflecting safety, healthcare access, walkability, and green space.
Our index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Sub-categories cover housing, food, transport, utilities, and healthcare. Data sources include Statistics Canada, CMHC, CRA.
Surrey: cost index 124, rent $2,420/mo, income $74,000/yr, QoL 54/100. Victoria: cost index 120, rent $2,300/mo, income $76,000/yr, QoL 66/100.
This analysis uses data from Statistics Canada, CMHC, CRA to rank cities in Canada. The cost of living index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Quality of life scores combine safety, healthcare, walkability, air quality, green space, and transit metrics. Salary ranges use national occupation data adjusted for local cost differences. Data is updated regularly to reflect current market conditions.