Surathkal is a prominent locality in Mangalore city and lies right off the National Highway 17 which is now known as National Highway 66. The locality is well connected to several areas in the northern parts of Mangalore and this has boosted the demand for property in Surathkal to a large extent. The Surathkal real estate market is largely dominated by prominent developers like Nidhi Land Infrastructure Developers, Hindustan NGC, Royal Arc Infra, Vishwas Bawa, Chirag, Agraja and Global Constructions Co among several others. 1, 2 and 3 BHK residential units and even plots are usually available in the Surathkal property market. Several premium projects are also being constructed in the locality in recent times.

The locality is also home to several leading technical institutes including the National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Govindadasa College and others. The area is also home to the Sri Mahalingeshwara English Medium and Holy Family schools. The locality is well connected to all parts of Mangalore through a reliable bus transport network including the Udupi-Mangalore Express buses. The Mangalore airport is located approximately 15 kilometres away from the locality while the New Mangalore sea port lies around 6 kilometres away from it. The Surathkal railway station is the connectivity lifeline of the area and lies on the Konkan railway route between the Udupi and Mangalore stations.

The locality is also home to several industries including MCF, MRPL and BASF. The Baikampady Industrial Estate is located around 6 kilometres away from the locality and is home to several medium and small scale industrial units. Raw materials are usually garnered through the Mangalore port while finished products are also exported both domestically and globally.