Where to buy dirt-cheap land within two hours of Australia’s big cities

• Where to buy land in Australia for 18 cents a square metre
• Victorian farm values rising faster than Melbourne house prices 

With property and land prices skyrocketing in capital cities around the country, many buyers are having to move further out to get their hands on something vaguely affordable.

But you don’t need to move to the middle of nowhere. We’ve found some rural blocks within two hours of a capital city that you can snap up for the fraction of the cost of a much smaller parcel in the big smoke.

For example, the median price for a square metre of vacant land is almost $1000 in the most expensive cities.

But there are large blocks in beautiful regional areas on offer for less than $1 a square metre. Sure, they don’t have a house on them yet (and you need council permission to be allowed to build on some of them), but others already have power and town water already connected.

East Beverley, Western Australia
– $175,000 for 40.47 hectares (or 43c per square metre)

This block is close to the historic town of Beverley. Photo: Supplied

It is about 140 kilometres from Perth. Photo: Google Maps

With more than 40 hectares on offer, this farming land has good soil and the block has a large dam, according to the listing.

It’s approximately 140 kilometres from Perth, and close to the town of Beverley, which was founded in 1838 and was one of the state’s oldest settlements. The town boasts a golf course, art gallery and museum.

Eppalock, Victoria
– $179,000 for 8.9 hectares (or $2 per square metre)

You could be in the regional city of Bendigo in less than an hour from this picturesque block. Photo: Supplied

Imagine waking up this view every day. The block is less than an hour from Bendigo and about two hours from the Melbourne CBD, but will feel like a world away from the rat race.

Berridale, New South Wales
– $180,000 for 9.71 hectares (or $1.85 per square metre)

The ski fields are 40 minutes in one direction and Canberra is less than two hours in the other. Photo: Supplied

You even have room to run one or two livestock. Photo: Supplied

Less than an hour from ski resorts of Perisher and Thredbo and two hours from Canberra, this plot is perfect for the dream rural getaway.

Just up the road from the small town of Berridale, the block features sloped and flat areas and a beautiful view looking out onto Lake Coolamatong.

Dunolly, Victoria
– $90,000 for 17 hectares (or 52c per square metre)

Once a thriving gold rush centre, this area is now an established farming area. Photo: Supplied

It’s close enough to Melbourne if you really need to go. Photo: Google Maps

Dunolly was the site of one the largest gold rushes in Victoria’s history in 1856, with as many as 60,000 people flocking to find their fortune. Now it’s home to fewer than 1000 people, and perfect for a country escape.

You’d have to get approval to build a house, but the 17-hectare allotment offers an opportunity to own a slice of the goldfields and features a dam.

Veradilla, Queensland
– $149,000 for 4.43 hectares (or $3.36 per square metre)

This block has a bitumen road to the gate, power and a bore on site. Photo: Supplied

Did we mention there’s also a dam? Photo: Supplied

This block boasts electricity, two dams and a creek, and is just 25 minutes from Toowoomba and a 90-minute drive from Brisbane.

With a fully fenced allotment and all-weather roads, all you’ll need to do is pick a spot to build your house.