Coober Pedy: 1,600 Residents Vanish Underground, Build $277K Cave Mansions

Coober Pedy families, facing 55C Australian sun, carve $277,000 homes four meters deep, swapping lawns for gypsum caves and answering 'How do underground homes stay cool?' and 'Can you buy a cave house?' Sabrina Troisi calls it 'just walking into a hill.' Her office is six meters further underground, proving city noise is optional when your living room is a silent, windowless grotto.
After Sabrina’s morning in total darkness, she skips umbrellas—rain visits Coober Pedy less than ten times a year. Locals debate 'Is it cheaper to live underground?' and 'What’s the downside of cave homes?' as families dig for up to ten years, sometimes emerging only to marvel at the distant, sun-melted horizon. Sabrina admits, 'When I go on holiday, I’m exhausted by the busy, busy streets.'
Coober Pedy’s 60% underground population proves you can own a spa, pool, and office six meters below desert crust—yet never once see your neighbor’s lawn or a sunrise.