I Lived in JB To See How Much Money I Could Save on Rent | TBH

Is renting in Johor Bahru THE solution to rising rental prices in Singapore? To find out, we sent our host Kimberly to rent a place in JB for a week and travel across the causeway for work every day. Was it really worth it?

Introducing TBH, a new series where we investigate, experiment and find the answers to some of Singapore's biggest millennial problems!

══ Content ══
0:00 Intro
2:07 Taking the KTM shuttle into JB
2:44 Apartment tour
4:22 Meeting a Singaporean renting in JB
7:47 Taking the bus from JB to SG for work
8:42 Meeting someone who has chosen to settle down in JB
11:52 JB's kampong spirit
15:19 Loneliness & social life in JB

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[HoneyMoneySG]

Thanks for producing this and showing this sight of residents commuting between JB-SG. They all seem very contented with life!

[zizi]

I am not surprise to hear her mention about warm Kampung spirit. It doesn't happen in Kampung as well. Even in KL, people tend to care more for each other as neighbors. Of course, once in a while you will run into people who are stuck up, but in general 90% of people are warm, know their neighbors and help each other out. It is very much a fabric of Malaysian culture.

[markzzzzberg]

i prefer living in JB too.. very peaceful no rush, friendly people, bigger condominium, soo many natural attraction like waterfalls, mountain, forest reserve, beautiful islands in Mersing, etc

[MsHugh]

The kampung spirits part really hits me...i've been living in sg for 10yrs+ but always feel something lost in my life. When i travel back to my home country, i can feel the warmth of the friends and neighbours which i rarely found in sg.

[farhanaqistina]

To everyone here who travel regardless reason..i salute you guys ..your patience hard work & sacrifices are many untold stories behind the reason to be here n there

[fahmidamiah]

This is a really great video and experiment. As a foreigner in Singapore who has not enjoyed the rental market experience here, I can tell you that it actually makes me very sad that local Singaporeans (especially the youth) are needing to move to (or strongly considering moving to) JB just to be abled to afford rent and save a little. It is absolutely absurd to me that people can't even rent in their own country. JB is a great place, don't get me wrong, but this is saying more about the situation in the rental market for the youth in Singapore and the future. Wishing everyone looking for a home the very best! (This should not be happening)

[deborah]

I kinda of understand what you shared about being alone and feeling lonely. I used to stay alone in an apartment. Initially, I felt pretty happy and satisfied, but as time went by, it was really quiet, especially if I didn't turn on any music or audio. The quietness can be super scary; any footsteps from the corridor outside can be heard clearly at midnight. I adopted 2 cats as my companions; it really helps to combat loneliness, giving me a sense of belonging when I return to my apartment with 2 cats waiting for me every day.

[Cristian-tbmq]

As an American. Hearing a 1 hour commute on the way back sounds very normal. The fact that he saves so much money is incredible to me.

[inspirit]

this was quite timely for me, as a singaporean with malaysian grandparents! i was thinking of moving in with them as they’re getting older & stay very close to the jb-sg border, but was worried about the daily commute to school. maybe i’ll try giving it a shot hahaha

[OGS.Official]

Enjoying our new series? Tell us what other millennial problems you'd like us to explore!

[aminXlocale]

As a fellow Londoner wanting to make a big move to Malaysia this was an awesome piece of content, keep producing great material such as this...truly a wonderful glimpse into people's lives!!!

[lidna]

For those who can work from home and the parent's home is getting too small for comfort, JB is a great option to save on living expenses and learning to live independently (which the video would not be able to address due to the 1 weeks' stay).

[dianasoh]

It's great that you have a job that lets you clock in at 9.30am. Most places start btw 8 - 8.30am, and schools start at 7.30 am. That's the peak hour. Leaving at 7 am means you missed the peak hour. I'm not sure there are employers that will let you leave work at 4 pm to get to Alan's office at 4.30 pm and cross the causeway at 5-ish. take a look at the daily jam from 6-8 pm. that's your daily 2-3 hr queue. Most Malaysians cannot afford to rent a place at R&F as it is more than their monthly income. :( Most wake up at 5 am to prepare for the commute - every morning.

[jessieh]

Thanks for sharing your one-week experiment living & commuting between JB and Singapore.

That’s a price to save money and/or to earn more (SGD vs RM). We just need to make good decisions to suit our own preferred value.

[tckiing]

In SG, you found money everywhere. In JB, you found hidden GEM everywhere. Every decision you made, no regret is a life

[duncanmcewan]

I lived in Singapore from 2011-2014 and checked the prices in the place where i rented when living in SG. Damn - prices indeed up 30-40%... and I was in one of the development "show units" with better finish etc. I can see the pain of people in SG, because I suspect salaries not increase by 40%!

[ssping]

Hopefully, the traffic situation will be improved with the Singapore Johor RTS Link coming up in 2026/2027. That will massively open up options for Singaporeans and Malaysians.

[iamjonz]

For family, if 90% of ur time is in sg due to work (non remote working environment) kids school, it not really worth. Mostly u spend the 10% of your time in Msia. And if u never go back for 2 weeks, due to busy schedule, you end up doing house cleaning.

For family or retiree family, if 80% of ur time can be flexible, then it totally worth it..coz you wont be tied down by time management. Msia, not only JB, is really a good places to explore around with.

Eg, today u r at JB, feel like going Malacca..u be there in an hr. Or maybe the weekend, u wanna go Genting for staycation. Just pack n go. U be there in 3hrs..More leisure time n fun.

In sg, it either downtown east, or bugis junction or maybe RWS Sentosa....

[elizangg]

appreciate the effort and thought that went into this video! especially lining up several people with personal experiences to share and stringing it together with your own experience into a coherent and well thought out video - well done!

[aldin]

I was very tempted to try this but I feel gladful for having a nice landlady in Singapore because my rent stays 600 SGD ever since i moved in 2 years ago. The RF Condo rent is somewhat more expensive than what i am paying now lol. Well i am blessed and grateful. Guys Please Stay Safe and take care your health at all times.