Buying a property close to the CBD need not cost an arm and a leg. In fact, you can get as close as two kilometres from the city, such as the suburb of Fortitude Valley, and find an affordable unit to buy, according to the latest report from Domain.
Just about 1.8 kilometres from the city, Fortitude Valley offers some of the most affordable units with a median unit sale price of $391,000, the Domain report said. Fortitude Valley has seen its unit median prices dropping by 7.5 percent from $432,500 in 2016 to $400,000 as at 31 December 2018, according to realestate.com.au.
Also, latest data from realestate.com.au, shows that the median price for units in Fortitude Valley from 1 Mar 2018 – 1 Mar 2019 is $400,000. Renting makes up the majority of property ownership in Fortitude Valley, about 73%; the median unit rental price per week is $420, Domain suburb profile said.
Among the most affordable suburbs within the 10 kilometres radius from the CBD, Keperra offers the most affordable house with median price of $541,500 whilst Milton offers has the lowest-priced units with a median price of $363,750, according to Domain Group’s list of affordable suburbs by proximity to the city.
Affordable Suburbs Under 10 Kilometres from Brisbane CBD
| Suburb for Units | Median Sale Price |
| Milton | $363,750 |
| Moorooka | $367,500 |
| Clayfield | $382,500 |
| Everton Park | $390,000 |
| Fortitude Valley | $391,000 |
| Suburb for Houses | Median Sale Price |
| Keperra | $541,500 |
| Chermside | $580,000 |
| Everton Park | $590,000 |
| Chermside West | $591,000 |
| Stafford Heights | $602,500 |
Zillmere, with a median unit price of $340,000, is the most affordable suburb within 10- 20 kilometres from CBD and is also close to Westfield Chermside. Inala, on the other hand has the lowest median house price at $365,000.
Affordable Suburbs 10 – 20 Kilometres from Brisbane CBD
| Suburb for Units | Median Sale Price |
| Zillmere | $340,000 |
| Runcorn | $365,000 |
| Richlands | $370,000 |
| Calamvale | $380,000 |
| Eight Mile Plains | $382,000 |
| Suburb for Houses | Median Sale Price |
| Inala | $365,500 |
| Acacia Ridge | $400,000 |
| Durack | $411,000 |
| Strathpine | $438,750 |
| Thorneside | $445,000 |
Photo Credit: Kgbo [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)] / Wikimedia Commons
The most affordable for houses within 20-30 kilometre radius is Kingston with a median house price of $325,000 whilst Kallangur offers the lowest median unit price at $292,000.
Affordable Suburbs 20 – 30 Kilometres from Brisbane CBD
| Suburb for Units | Median Sale Price |
| Kallangur | $292,000 |
| Dakabin | $365,000 |
| Griffin | $377,500 |
| Mango Hill | $383,500 |
| Redcliffe | $387,500 |
| Suburb for Houses | Median Sale Price |
| Kingston | $325,000 |
| Bundamba | $331,000 |
| Goodna | $337,000 |
| Redbank Plains | $338,500 |
| Bethania | $344,000 |
Looking beyond the 30 kilometres radius, there are still affordable suburbs you can find yet still are relatively close to the city such as Eagleby with a median unit price of $252,000. Raceview will also not disappoint buyers hunting for bargain houses with its median house price of $338,000.
Affordable Suburbs 30 – 40 Kilometres from Brisbane CBD
| Suburb for Units | Median Sale Price |
| Eagleby | $252,000 |
| Deception Bay | $260,000 |
| Morayfield | $325,000 |
| Redland Bay | $448,500 |
| Scarborough | $495,000 |
| Suburb for Houses | Median Sale Price |
| Raceview | $338,000 |
| Brassall | $347,250 |
| Beenleigh | $350,000 |
| Yamanto | $359,000 |
| Morayfield | $359,900 |
Analysts believe that now is a good time to buy in these bargain suburbs closest to the CBD, considering that these areas are already primed for growth, however, recovery on units market may take some time since units are not considered as primary choice among buyers.
