Cost of living in Surprise, Arizona

Surprise, Arizona has about 154,948 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.

A typical home is worth about $435,100.

HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in Maricopa County is $1,734 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in Surprise. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.

In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area, prices sit at 103.3 when the U.S. average is 100. That is a 2024 BEA index.

Arizona taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 8.5% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not Surprise's exact store tax.

In July 2026, a typical Arizona home paid 15.38¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not Surprise's bill.

EIA does not publish a Arizona gasoline price. The West Coast (PADD 5) Except California all-grades price was $5.167 a gallon on September 15, 2026. The weekly file does not include that series, so this is the monthly price. At 12,000 miles a year and 25 mpg, the index counts that as $2,480.16 a year. Those miles are our standard, not a Census figure, and every town in Arizona shares this price.

Among 171 places we list in Arizona with a rent figure, 12 have higher typical rent than Surprise.