City comparison
Sierra Vista, AZ is about 200 miles (300 km) from Surprise, AZ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 250 miles, or about 4 h behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Sierra Vista, AZ to Surprise, AZ takes about 23 min, covering roughly 200 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Surprise has a population of 145,591, vs 45,212 in Sierra Vista — about 3.2× larger by population. By land area, Sierra Vista covers about 150 sq mi vs 110 sq mi for Surprise.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Sierra Vista | Surprise | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,080/mo | $1,822/mo | 68.7% higher in Surprise |
| Median home value | $215,900 | $352,600 | 63.3% higher in Surprise |
| Median household income | $70,899 | $87,756 | 23.8% higher in Surprise |
| Groceries index | 96.9 | 95.8 | 1.1% higher in Sierra Vista |
| Utilities index | 94.9 | 96.2 | 1.3% higher in Surprise |
| Transportation index | 100.3 | 104.1 | 3.8% higher in Surprise |
| Healthcare index | 100.2 | 104.0 | 3.8% higher in Surprise |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Sierra Vista, you'd need $131,255 in Surprise to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sierra Vista, AZ is about 23.8% cheaper overall than Surprise, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 93% higher in Surprise than in Sierra Vista. If you earn $80,000 in Sierra Vista, you'd need about $105,004 in Surprise to keep the same standard of living.