A surface-coated cutting tool, comprising: a tool body composed of any one of a tungsten carbide-based cemented carbide, a titanium carbonitride-based cermet and a cubic boron nitride-based ultra-high-pressure sintered material; and a hard coating layer provided on a surface of the tool body, wherein (a) the hard coating layer includes at least a layer of complex nitride or complex carbonitride of Ti and Al having an average thickness of 1 to 20 μm, and the complex nitride or the complex carbonitride is expressed by a composition formula: Ti 1 − X Al X C Y N 1 − Y, X and Y satisfy 0.60 ≤ X ≤ 0.95 and 0 ≤ Y ≤ 0.005, respectively, where X is an average content ratio of Al in a total amount of Ti and Al in an atomic ratio, and Y is an average content ratio of C in a total amount of C and N in an atomic ratio, (b) the complex nitride or complex carbonitride contains a minute amount of Cl, and Z satisfies 0.0001 ≤ Z ≤ 0.004, where Z is a content ratio of Cl in a total amount of Ti, Al, C, N, and Cl in an atomic ratio, (c) the values of spacing of plane d and d are respectively calculated from X-ray diffraction spectra of plane and plane of crystal grains having a NaCl type face-centered cubic structure in the layer of complex nitride or complex carbonitride measured by using an X-ray diffraction device, regarding the layer of complex nitride or complex carbonitride, A and A defined as A 111 = 3 1 / 2 d 111 and A 200 = 2 d 200 were calculated from the calculated values of d and d, and an absolute value ΔA of a difference between A and A, ΔA = |A - A | satisfies 0.007 Å < ΔA ≤ 0.05 Å. a tool body composed of any one of a tungsten carbide-based cemented carbide, a titanium carbonitride-based cermet and a cubic boron nitride-based ultra-high-pressure sintered material; and a hard coating layer provided on a surface of the tool body, wherein (a) the hard coating layer includes at least a layer of complex nitride or complex carbonitride of Ti and Al having an average thickness of 1 to 20 μm, and the complex nitride or the complex carbonitride is expressed by a composition formula: Ti 1 − X Al X C Y N 1 − Y, X and Y satisfy 0.60 ≤ X ≤ 0.95 and 0 ≤ Y ≤ 0.005, respectively, where X is an average content ratio of Al in a total amount of Ti and Al in an atomic ratio, and Y is an average content ratio of C in a total amount of C and N in an atomic ratio, (b) the complex nitride or complex carbonitride contains a minute amount of Cl, and Z satisfies 0.0001 ≤ Z ≤ 0.004, where Z is a content ratio of Cl in a total amount of Ti, Al, C, N, and Cl in an atomic ratio, (c) the values of spacing of plane d and d are respectively calculated from X-ray diffraction spectra of plane and plane of crystal grains having a NaCl type face-centered cubic structure in the layer of complex nitride or complex carbonitride measured by using an X-ray diffraction device, regarding the layer of complex nitride or complex carbonitride, A and A defined as A 111 = 3 1 / 2 d 111 and A 200 = 2 d 200 were calculated from the calculated values of d and d, and an absolute value ΔA of a difference between A and A, ΔA = |A - A | satisfies 0.007 Å < ΔA ≤ 0.05 Å. (a) the hard coating layer includes at least a layer of complex nitride or complex carbonitride of Ti and Al having an average thickness of 1 to 20 μm, and the complex nitride or the complex carbonitride is expressed by a composition formula: Ti 1 − X Al X C Y N 1 − Y, X and Y satisfy 0.60 ≤ X ≤ 0.95 and 0 ≤ Y ≤ 0.005, respectively, where X is an average content ratio of Al in a total amount of Ti and Al in an atomic ratio, and Y is an average content ratio of C in a total amount of C and N in an atomic ratio, (b) the complex nitride or complex carbonitride contains a minute amount of Cl, and Z satisfies 0.0001 ≤ Z ≤ 0.004, where Z is a content ratio of Cl in a total amount of Ti, Al, C, N, and Cl in an atomic ratio, (c) the values of spacing of plane d and d are respectively calculated from X-ray diffraction spectra of plane and plane of crystal grains having a NaCl type face-centered cubic structure in the layer of complex nitride or complex carbonitride measured by using an X-ray diffraction device, regarding the layer of complex nitride or complex carbonitride, A and A defined as A 111 = 3 1 / 2 d 111 and A 200 = 2 d 200 were calculated from the calculated values of d and d, and an absolute value ΔA of a difference between A and A, ΔA = |A - A | satisfies 0.007 Å < ΔA ≤ 0.05 Å.