City comparison
Surprise, AZ is about 150 miles (225 km) from Tucson, AZ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 175 miles, or about 3 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 Surprise, AZ to Tucson, AZ takes about 17 min, covering roughly 150 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.
Tucson has a population of 541,033, vs 145,591 in Surprise — about 3.7× larger by population. By land area, Tucson covers about 240 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 | Surprise | Tucson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,822/mo | $991/mo | 83.9% higher in Surprise |
| Median home value | $352,600 | $218,200 | 61.6% higher in Surprise |
| Median household income | $87,756 | $52,049 | 68.6% higher in Surprise |
| Groceries index | 95.8 | 96.9 | 1.1% higher in Tucson |
| Utilities index | 96.2 | 92.7 | 3.7% higher in Surprise |
| Transportation index | 104.1 | 100.3 | 3.8% higher in Surprise |
| Healthcare index | 104.0 | 100.2 | 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 Surprise, you'd need $86,205 in Tucson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Tucson, AZ is about 13.8% cheaper overall than Surprise, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 36% higher in Surprise than in Tucson. If you earn $80,000 in Surprise, you'd need about $68,964 in Tucson to keep the same standard of living.