Are you tired? Between landlords hiking up rent for a tiny HDB room, the $8 iced lattes, and a basic supermarket trip now feeling like a luxury outing…the cost of living in Singapore has become quite exhausting. But did you know just a few minutes across the causeway lies a reality that feels almost offensive when you look at your own bank statements?
We always knew Johor Bahru was significantly cheaper to Singapore. But it’s so cheap that it almost breaks the calculator. And with the highly-anticipated RTS Link launching in February 2027—cutting commutes to a breezy five minutes—JB could become your new lifestyle, or even home.
According to recent crowd-sourced data, Singapore is up to 230% more expensive than Johor Bahru. Here’s the shocking maths behind the numbers.
The 230% explained
Living in Johor Bahru (including rent, groceries, and daily expenses) is roughly 70% cheaper than living in Singapore. Think of it this way: if you need $1,000 SGD (about RM3,170) to live a very comfortable base lifestyle for a month in JB, maintaining that exact same lifestyle in Singapore will cost you $3,300 SGD.
This means that you are paying on average $2,300 extra in Singapore. So you are paying a 230% premium just for the privilege of sleeping on the Singapore side of the bridge.
Massive rent differences
Housing is the biggest culprit behind the large gap. In fact, we recently reported that a Singapore apartment now averages $4,000 SGD per month. Meanwhile, you could easily pay $1,200 SGD per month for a single master bedroom in a shared HDB flat in Yishun or Sengkang.
However, that exact same $1,200 SGD (roughly RM3,800) in JB could get you an entire multi-bedroom, luxury condo in the prime downtown area with a rooftop infinity pool, a fully equipped gym, and 24/7 security. See the images below.
Overall, rent is around 80% to 87% cheaper in Johor Bahru compared to similar spaces in Singapore. Plus Numbeo data states that rent prices are 490.1% higher in Singapore than JB.
Daily cost of living struggles
The 230% difference isn’t just about rent: it’s about every single thing you do. When you earn in strong Singapore Dollars but spend in Malaysian Ringgit, you unlock huge daily discounts on your own life.
For instance, a standard meal at a casual restaurant in Singapore will easily set you back $15 SGD. In JB, that same meal costs around RM15, which is less than $5 SGD. Plus, your monthly grocery bill drops by about 40%, your gym membership is half the price, and grabbing a premium coffee suddenly feels like pocket change rather than a financial decision.
The 5-minute game changer
Historically, the catch to this 230% discount has been the dreaded causeway commute, but now the barrier is about to vanish with the opening of the RTS Link system in early 2027.
This means passengers will clear immigration just once at their departure station and zoom across the border in roughly five minutes. Once that train starts running, the 230% difference becomes easily attainable every single day for Singaporeans.
The real question is: would you move across the causeway to JB?
