A surface coated cutting tool comprising a base material and a coating layer that coats the base material, the coating layer including an alternate layer composed of a first unit layer and a second unit layer alternately stacked, wherein the first unit layer is adjacent to the second unit layer, the first unit layer consisting of a nitride containing aluminum and zirconium and optionally silicon, boron or vanadium, and an inevitable impurity other than aluminum, zirconium and nitrogen in an amount of larger than 0 atomic% and less than 1 atomic %, as measured using the method described in the description, in the first unit layer, when the total number of metal atoms constituting the first unit layer is represented as 1, a ratio thereto of the number of atoms of the zirconium being not less than 0.65 and not more than 0.95, a ratio thereto of the number of atoms of the silicon, if present, being larger than 0 and not more than 0.20, a ratio thereto of the number of atoms of the boron, if present, being larger than 0 and not more than 0.10, and a ratio thereto of the number of atoms of the vanadium, if present, being larger than 0 and not more than 0.30, the second unit layer consisting of a nitride containing titanium and silicon and optionally boron or vanadium, and an inevitable impurity other than aluminum, zirconium and nitrogen in an amount of larger than 0 atomic% and less than 1 atomic %, as measured using the method described in the description, in the second unit layer, when the total number of metal atoms constituting the second unit layer is represented as 1, a ratio thereto of the number of atoms of the silicon being not less than 0.05 and not more than 0.20, a ratio thereto of the number of atoms of the vanadium, if present, being larger than 0 and not more than 0.30, and a ratio thereto of the number of atoms of the boron, if present, being larger than 0 and not more than 0.10, wherein the coating layer has an overall thickness of not less than 0.8 μm and not more than 15 μm, wherein the coating layer has compressive residual stress of not less than 0 GPa and not more than 6 GPa in absolute value, the compressive residual stress being measured using the method described in the description, wherein the first unit layer and the second unit layer each have a thickness of not less than 0.002 μm and not more than 0.2 μm. the coating layer including an alternate layer composed of a first unit layer and a second unit layer alternately stacked, wherein the first unit layer is adjacent to the second unit layer, the first unit layer consisting of a nitride containing aluminum and zirconium and optionally silicon, boron or vanadium, and an inevitable impurity other than aluminum, zirconium and nitrogen in an amount of larger than 0 atomic% and less than 1 atomic %, as measured using the method described in the description, in the first unit layer, when the total number of metal atoms constituting the first unit layer is represented as 1, a ratio thereto of the number of atoms of the zirconium being not less than 0.65 and not more than 0.95, a ratio thereto of the number of atoms of the silicon, if present, being larger than 0 and not more than 0.20, a ratio thereto of the number of atoms of the boron, if present, being larger than 0 and not more than 0.10, and a ratio thereto of the number of atoms of the vanadium, if present, being larger than 0 and not more than 0.30, the second unit layer consisting of a nitride containing titanium and silicon and optionally boron or vanadium, and an inevitable impurity other than aluminum, zirconium and nitrogen in an amount of larger than 0 atomic% and less than 1 atomic %, as measured using the method described in the description, in the second unit layer, when the total number of metal atoms constituting the second unit layer is represented as 1, a ratio thereto of the number of atoms of the silicon being not less than 0.05 and not more than 0.20, a ratio thereto of the number of atoms of the vanadium, if present, being larger than 0 and not more than 0.30, and a ratio thereto of the number of atoms of the boron, if present, being larger than 0 and not more than 0.10, wherein the coating layer has an overall thickness of not less than 0.8 μm and not more than 15 μm, wherein the coating layer has compressive residual stress of not less than 0 GPa and not more than 6 GPa in absolute value, the compressive residual stress being measured using the method described in the description, wherein the first unit layer and the second unit layer each have a thickness of not less than 0.002 μm and not more than 0.2 μm.