The housing boom in Australia has made it extremely difficult for first-time homebuyers to get their foot in the door. Even with many incentives available to property newbies, places like Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney have all cracked the $1 million median house price mark. Even with these incentives, it might not seem like enough to secure a home of your own.

If you’re looking to get a key in the door of a new home for the first time, there are still many suburbs well below the $1 million figure across Australia.

Where are the cheapest places to buy a property in Australia?

Exclusive figures given to Your Mortgage by CoreLogic reveal a list of towns with the lowest median property prices. Many of these locations are in remote regions, and because of this, are often not on the radar of most homebuyers. The popularity of these locations may change as remote working gains ground, giving employees more freedom to choose the places they want to live in without considering the proximity to the workplace.

Here are the top 10 cheapest places to buy a property according to CoreLogic:

Suburb

State

Property type

Median house price

Andamooka

SA

H

$21,000

Norseman

WA

H

$38,000

Swan Bay

NSW

H

$54,500

Morawa

WA

H

$60,000

Collarenebri

NSW

H

$62,500

Laguna Quays

QLD

U

$64,500

Yaroomba

QLD

U

$65,000

Coober Pedy

SA

H

$65,000

Menindee

NSW

H

$65,500

Yowah

QLD

H

$66,000

Source: CoreLogic. All data is reported to the period ending December 2021.

Suburbs closer to CBDs with the cheapest house prices in 2022

Remote living isn’t for everyone. For people still looking to stay close to their nearest capital city, buying a property in one of the locations above may not be realistic. Your Mortgage conducted market research to determine which suburbs within 10 kilometres from each capital city have the cheapest median house prices for people looking for inner-city living.

Methodology

Your Mortgage identified suburbs within 10 kilometres of capital cities in each state or territory. We then gathered the latest house price data from CoreLogic and selected the suburbs with the cheapest median house prices in the area.

These locations may be suitable for professionals and first-time homebuyers who are looking to strike a good balance between housing costs and accessibility to their city workplaces. All figures are accurate as of 29 March 2022.

Waterloo, NSW 2017

  • Nearest capital city: Sydney

  • Distance to CBD: 5.9 km

  • Median house price: $1,290,000

Sydney is one of the most expensive suburbs to buy in Australia. With a current median house price of over $1.4 million, it’s clear to see why it’s difficult for people to break into the market.

If you live in Sydney and looking for a house priced below the median, you might want to look at Waterloo. The median house price is currently approximately $1.2 million. Dotted with Victorian terraces, Waterloo is known locally as the ‘10 minutes to anywhere suburb’. The suburb is becoming more gentrified, undergoing a shift from being a mostly industrial suburb to increasingly residential.

Maidstone, VIC 3012

  • Nearest capital city: Melbourne

  • Distance to CBD: 9 km

  • Median home price: $863,500

Property prices in Melbourne have been on the rise, with the median house price reaching $998,356. Just nine kilometres out of Melbourne’s CBD, the suburb of Maidstone offers more affordable houses with a median price of $863,500.

Tingalpa, QLD 4173

  • Nearest capital city: Brisbane

  • Distance to CBD: 10 km

  • Median home price: $743,000

Similar to most major cities in Australia, Brisbane house prices are also now at a record high median of $828,175. However, home buyers with tighter budgets can find properties that are more affordable in Tingalpa.

With a family score of nine out of 10, the median house price is currently $743,000 for a three-bedroom house. The area has numerous schools, playgrounds, lagoons, and walking trails. Regarding accessibility, about 85% of workers drive to work.

Evatt, ACT 2617

  • Nearest capital city: Canberra

  • Distance to CBD: 9 km

  • Median home price: $815,556

If you are looking for an affordable house in the ACT, then you should consider buying a home in Evatt.

Canberra home prices have exceeded $1 million this year, making Evatt an attractive option for home buyers looking for a quiet neighborhood still close to the hub of Canberra.

Workers can quickly reach the CBD from Evatt in 10 minutes by driving or 25 minutes on a bicycle.

Risdon Vale, TAS 7016

  • Nearest capital city: Hobart

  • Distance to CBD: 7 km

  • Median home price: $402,000

The city of Hobart in Tasmania also experienced a surge in property values over the last year, with the median house price breaking $781,069.

In your search for an affordable home, you might like to look to Risdon Vale. Just nine kilometres from Hobart, home prices are well below the median home price of the area. The median house price for a three-bedroom home is currently $402,000.

With a family score of seven out of 10, Risdon Vale has a selection of schools, sporting outlets, and amenities. With a small population of around 3,000 people, most residents travel by car into the CBD.

Cannington, WA 6107

  • Nearest capital city: Perth

  • Distance to CBD: 8 km

  • Median home price: $437,000

The median house price in Perth has also reached its highest point of $595,837, but you can find significantly cheaper properties in the surrounding suburbs of Maylands, Westminster, Como, and Cannington.

In particular, the median price of a three-bedroom house in Cannington is $437,000.

The suburb has numerous schools, hospitals, baby shops, and daycare centres that cater to the needs of households with children. Cannington has a family score of eight out of 10.

You can also find here the Westfield Carousel, one of the largest shopping complexes in the Perth metropolitan area.

In terms of transport, the area is situated along Albany Highway which serves as a primary route into the Perth CBD. It is also served by the Cannington Interchange and State Route 26 which provides access to Kwinana Freeway.

Also read: Yourmortgage's guides for buying your first home

Buying a home or looking to refinance? The table below features home loans with some of the lowest interest rates on the market for owner occupiers.

Update resultsUpdate
LenderHome LoanInterest Rate Comparison Rate* Monthly Repayment Repayment type Rate Type Offset Redraw Ongoing Fees Upfront Fees LVR Lump Sum Repayment Additional Repayments Split Loan Option TagsFeaturesLinkCompare
6.04% p.a.
6.06% p.a.
$2,408
Principal & Interest
Variable
$0
$530
70%
Featured Online ExclusiveUp to $4k cashback
  • Immediate cashback upon settlement
  • $2000 for loans up to $700,000
  • $4000 for loans over $700,000
5.99% p.a.
5.90% p.a.
$2,396
Principal & Interest
Variable
$0
$0
80%
  • A low-rate variable home loan from a 100% online lender. Backed by the Commonwealth Bank.
5.95% p.a.
5.95% p.a.
$2,385
Principal & Interest
Variable
$0
$0
90%
5.94% p.a.
5.95% p.a.
$2,383
Principal & Interest
Variable
$0
$180
80%
5.99% p.a.
5.99% p.a.
$2,396
Principal & Interest
Variable
$0
$150
60%
Important Information and Comparison Rate Warning

Base criteria of: a $400,000 loan amount, variable, fixed, principal and interest (P&I) home loans with an LVR (loan-to-value) ratio of at least 80%. However, the ‘Compare Home Loans’ table allows for calculations to be made on variables as selected and input by the user. Some products will be marked as promoted, featured or sponsored and may appear prominently in the tables regardless of their attributes. All products will list the LVR with the product and rate which are clearly published on the product provider’s website. Monthly repayments, once the base criteria are altered by the user, will be based on the selected products’ advertised rates and determined by the loan amount, repayment type, loan term and LVR as input by the user/you. *The Comparison rate is based on a $150,000 loan over 25 years. Warning: this comparison rate is true only for this example and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate. Rates correct as of .