Cheapest suburbs in which to buy a house in each capital city for 2025
Looking for the most affordable suburbs in a capital city? Be prepared to travel up to 41 kilometres away from the CBD.
While the median house prices in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth have hit new records, Domain analysis has found there are still pockets of affordability in all the major capital cities where home buyers can spend up to $1 million less than the median.
| State | Suburb | Capital city | Median house price | Distance from CBD (km) |
| ACT | Ngunnawal | Canberra | $760,000 | 12.9 |
| NSW | Werrington | Sydney | $770,000 | 41.3 |
| NT | Berrimah | Darwin | $320,000 | 6.1 |
| QLD | Russell Island | Brisbane | $426,000 | 37.1 |
| SA | Elizabeth South | Adelaide | $500,000 | 17.3 |
| SA | Elizabeth North | Adelaide | $500,000 | 22.8 |
| TAS | Risdon Vale | Hobart | $460,000 | 5.6 |
| VIC | Melton | Melbourne | $500,000 | 30.6 |
| WA | Medina | Perth | $550,500 | 28.2 |
Cheapest houses in Sydney suburbs
Sydney house prices have hit an eye-watering $1.75 million median, and suburbs with a six-figure median are quickly becoming scarce.
However, looking further west in the Penrith region, home buyers may find far more affordable properties.
The cheapest Sydney suburb in which to buy a house is Werrington, 41.3 kilometres west of the CBD, which has a median house price of $770,000 – a discount of nearly $1 million off the city’s median.
Local agent Bianca Rossetto of Ray White (United Group) says townhouses make up most of Werrington’s housing stock, which has kept the median low compared to neighbouring suburbs like Penrith and St Marys.
“You’ll find anything close to the station sells a bit cheaper, although you are seeing prices increase in that pocket,” Rosetto says. “I was selling brand-new off-the-plan townhouses back in 2020 for $530,000, and I sold one three months ago for $770,000.
“At the time, it was a suburb record for a three-bedroom townhouse that was approximately four years old. It was about 165 square metres in total, with three bedrooms, two baths and a double garage.”
Anything bigger, and prices begin at $780,000, Rossetto says.
In the past five years, the median house price in Werrington has increased by 43.5 per cent, according to the latest Domain House Price Report.
Rossetto says it has a balanced mix of new and old townhouses and has always been an alternative for home buyers who get priced out of St Marys.
Cheapest houses in Melbourne suburbs
Melbourne house prices have gained steam, and the median now sits $1.083 million – less than $10,000 away from its October 2021 price peak.
House buyers with smaller budgets may find success by heading straight to Melton, where the median is just $500,000.
The suburb, 30.6 kilometres from the CBD, offers first-home buyers a better chance to enter the property market.
It’s possible to buy a 450 to 600-square-metre lot with an older house on a $500,000 budget, says local agent Honey Madan of Starr Property Group.
“It will be hard to find a house on the slab, and it would likely be around 50 to 60 years old,” he says. “It will be a three-bedroom, one bathroom with plenty of space and an open area for car parking and for gardening.”
Many of the older homes in that price range are brick and require little renovation, Madan adds.
Compared to neighbouring suburbs, Melton offers better value for money because the houses are much older.
“If you want to buy a four-bedroom house on 350 square metres of land in Melton South, you need to spend at least $650,000, whereas in Melton you can get 600 square metres of land and get away with paying only $500,000,” Madan says.
Cheapest houses in Brisbane suburbs
With a $1.1 million median house price, Brisbane has become Australia’s second most expensive capital city, after Sydney.
Despite the massive upswing, there are still pockets of affordability in Greater Brisbane. The cheapest suburb is Russell Island – 37.1 kilometres from Brisbane CBD and only reachable by ferry – which has a median of $426,000.
A $426,000 budget could buy a two-bedroom house, says local agent Debra Hayman of Russell Island Real Estate.
“If you’re looking for something like a three-bedroom two-bathroom, brand new build, you’re probably looking at more like $580,000,” she says.
The typical home in Russel Island will be weatherboard on a slab or a pier-and-beam foundation, Hayman adds.
“There are also a lot of modular homes being delivered now,” she says. “Over here, every home in every street looks different, which lends to the island vibe.”
Cheapest houses in Adelaide suburbs
Adelaide has long lost its status as one of Australia’s most affordable capital cities, and now has a $1.049 million median house price.
The cheapest suburbs are Elizabeth North and Elizabeth South, with medians of $500,000.
Unlike the cheapest suburbs in Sydney and Brisbane, these areas sit comparatively close to the CBD, at 22.8 kilometres and 17.3 kilometres, respectively.
Houses under $500,000 here are generally older homes with three bedrooms and one bathroom on lots of at least 300 square metres.
Cheapest houses in Perth suburbs
Perth’s median house price is just $19,000 away from cracking $1 million.
The city’s most affordable suburb is Medina, located 28.2 kilometres from the CBD, with a median house price of $550,500.
Based on listings available on Domain, buyers with a $550,000 budget can find an older two or three-bedroom weatherboard or brick home, or a newer two-bedroom townhouse.
Cheapest houses in Hobart suburbs
Hobart is the second most affordable capital city in Australia, with a $744,926 median house price.
Its cheapest suburb sits just 5.6 kilometres from the CBD.
Risdon Vale in the north-east has a $460,000 median, for which buyers might find an older red-brick home with three bedrooms and one bathroom, sitting on 600 square metres of land.
Cheapest houses in Canberra suburbs
With a $1.1 million median house price, Canberra is now the nation’s third most expensive capital city.
Home buyers can shave $340,000 off the city’s median by looking 12.9 kilometres north of the CBD.
Located in the Gungahlin district, Ngunnawal has a $760,000 median house price.
The types of homes currently available here are a mix of brick single-story standalone houses and townhouses. The typical property for the median house price likely has three bedrooms, one bathroom and plenty of yard space.
Cheapest houses in Darwin suburbs
Darwin remains the cheapest capital city in the nation, with a median house price of $656,858, and it’s also home to the most affordable capital-city suburb.
Berrimah has a median house price of $320,000 and is just 6.1 kilometres from the Darwin CBD.
Many of the homes in the suburbs are single-story concrete or weatherboard houses.
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