Surrey households are spending heavily — but not all of that money stays in the city.
A detailed spending analysis released by Invest Surrey and the City of Surrey provides new insight into how residents allocate their monthly household budgets, highlighting strong local loyalty for essentials alongside notable outflows in discretionary and experience-based spending.
The findings are based on self-reported household spending for April 2025, excluding large one-time purchases, and focus on routine monthly expenses across essential and discretionary categories.
High Monthly Spending Across Categories
According to the report, Surrey households manage substantial average monthly expenditures, underscoring the city’s role as a high-frequency consumer market rather than a commuter-based “bedroom community.”
Average monthly household spending includes:
- Regular household bills: $2,090
- Groceries: $926
- Automotive expenses: $563
- Transportation: $468
- Restaurant dining: $413
- Health care and professional services: $321
- Entertainment and recreation: $291
After fixed costs, food, mobility, and discretionary lifestyle spending make up a significant share of household budgets.
Where the Money Stays Local
Several everyday categories show strong retention within Surrey:
- Alcohol: 72% spent locally
- Groceries: 69% local
- Health care services: 63% local
- Personal care and beauty products: 60% local
- Pet food and supplies: 59% local
These sectors tend to be necessity-driven, proximity-sensitive, and less dependent on brand variety — suggesting effective neighbourhood-level access for essential services.
Where Spending Leaks Out
In contrast, discretionary and experience-driven categories show substantial spending outside the city or online:
- Restaurant dining: 31% spent outside Surrey
- Entertainment and recreation: 32% outside Surrey
- Apparel and accessories: 22% outside Surrey; 27% online
- Small electronics: 14% outside Surrey; 38% online
The data suggests residents are willing to travel or shop digitally when variety, brand mix, or specialized experiences matter.
What Would Keep More Spending in Surrey
When asked what would encourage them to spend more locally, residents pointed overwhelmingly to experience-based sectors:
- Restaurant dining: 52%
- Entertainment and recreation: 43%
- Expanded grocery options: 43%
- Apparel and lifestyle retail: 34%
By contrast, far fewer respondents said they wanted more basic services or necessities.
Why Residents Shop Elsewhere
The main drivers behind spending outside Surrey were not affordability or habit, but structural retail gaps:
- Better product selection: 51%
- Availability: 44%
- Price: 36%
- Quality: 24%
Only 14% of respondents said they do not regularly shop outside Surrey at all.
The Big Picture
The analysis makes one conclusion clear: Surrey does not lack spending power.
Instead, the city faces a mismatch between consumer expectations and available dining, entertainment, and lifestyle offerings. The data points to strong potential for expanded dining districts, curated retail environments, and mixed-use developments that support evening and weekend activity.
In economic terms, Surrey is already a high-spending city — but one that has yet to fully capture its own discretionary economy.
