Surprise, AZ Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Surprise, AZ Summary

Cost of living in Surprise research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Surprise is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in Arizona, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:

  • The cost of living index in Surprise is 117, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Surprise is 1.2x higher than the national average.

  • Surprise ranks as the #63 cheapest in Arizona out of 92.

  • Surprise ranks as the #4,212 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Surprise is $422,703.

  • The median income in Surprise is $93,371.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
117
Surprise's Overall Cost Of Living
1.2x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Surprise, AZ?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Surprise has an overall cost of living index of 117, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to Arizona, Surprise has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Arizona's index of 102.

The standard of living in Surprise ranks as #63 most affordable out of the 92 places we measured in Arizona. By definition, that implies Surprise ranks as the #29 most expensive place in the Grand Canyon State.

For more reading on life in Surprise, check out:

63 out of 92
In Arizona
4,212 out of 6,489
In America

Surprise Cost Of Living Vs. Arizona

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Surprise. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Surprise is 102.

  • The Groceries index in Surprise is 96.

  • The Health index in Surprise is 85.

  • The Housing index in Surprise is 145.

  • The Transportation index in Surprise is 93.

  • The Utilities index in Surprise is 125.

Living Expense Surprise Arizona National Average
Overall 117 102 100
Services 102 102 100
Groceries 96 103 100
Health 85 95 100
Housing 145 99 100
Transportation 93 107 100
Utilities 125 96 100
For more reading on cost of living around Arizona, check out:
Surprise Cost of Living Vs. AZ

Surprise, AZ Housing Cost Breakdown

Housing swings affordability the most between places in Arizona, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Surprise is $422,703.

  • The Median Rent in Surprise is $1,917.

  • The Median Income in Surprise is $93,371.

  • The Home Value To Income in Surprise is 4.5x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Surprise is 0.25x.

Statistic Surprise Arizona United States
Median Home Value $422,703 $422,479 $303,400
Median Rent $1,917 $1,431 $1,348
Median Income $93,371 $76,872 $78,538
Home Value To Income 4.5x 5.5x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.25x 0.22x 0.21x
$422,703
Median Home Value
$1,917
Median Rent
$93,371
Median Income

Surprise, AZ Costs By Category

Detailed Surprise Services Costs Vs. Arizona

Item Surprise Arizona
Shampoo $1.39 $1.28
Movie $9.96 $12.13
Bowling $15.56 $18
Haircut $26.78 $24.26
Beauty Salon $54.44 $45.56

Detailed Surprise Groceries Costs Vs. Arizona

Item Surprise Arizona
Ground Beef $6.08 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.47 $1.57
Milk $4.91 $4.67
Potatoes $4.66 $4.93
Pizza $13.34 $12.09
Beer $11.24 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.44 $3.7

Detailed Surprise Health Costs Vs. Arizona

Item Surprise Arizona
Optometrist $102.06 $125.68
Doctor $93.86 $135.78
Dentist $100.07 $113.29

Detailed Surprise Transportation Costs Vs. Arizona

Item Surprise Arizona
Gasoline $3.66 $3.46
Tire Balancing $61.78 $59.92

Detailed Surprise Utilities Costs Vs. Arizona

Item Surprise Arizona
All Electricity $147.32 $193.99
Phone $190.63 $192.25

Surprise SnackAbility

8
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
8/10
Housing
8.5
Affordability
5
Diversity
8.5
Safety
8
Amenities
8.5
Education
8
Commute
5

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Surprise

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Surprise. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Glendale, AZ has a cost of living index of 102, 0.9x Surprise.

  • Peoria, AZ has a cost of living index of 117, 1.0x Surprise.

  • El Mirage, AZ has a cost of living index of 103, 0.9x Surprise.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Surprise
Glendale, AZ 250,193 102 0.9x
Peoria, AZ 194,338 117 1.0x
El Mirage, AZ 35,823 103 0.9x
Tolleson, AZ 7,233 98 0.8x
Litchfield Park, AZ 6,871 128 1.1x
Citrus Park, AZ 5,136 139 1.2x

Articles About Arizona

Enjoy The Snack?