Two checkpoints, two different mornings
Johor has two road links to Singapore. The Causeway runs from the JB CIQ in the city centre to Woodlands, in the north of the island. The Second Link runs from the Sultan Abu Bakar CIQ Complex, out towards Gelang Patah, to Tuas in the far west. Between 300,000 and 400,000 people use the two of them every day, a figure Johor's transport committee chairman gave in March 2025.
Match the link to your workplace. An office in Woodlands, the city centre or the east points to the Causeway, so you live in or near JB city centre. A job in Tuas, Jurong or Boon Lay points to the Second Link, so Bukit Indah, Perling and Iskandar Puteri make more sense. Get this wrong and you cross most of Singapore after you have already crossed the border.
Crossing at the Causeway
From the JB CIQ you have buses through the night and a train with fixed departures. Fares going out are charged in ringgit. Fares coming home are charged in Singapore dollars.
| Service | Route | From JB | Back to JB | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Causeway Link CW1 | JB CIQ to Kranji MRT | RM2.60 | S$2.00 by card, S$2.60 single ticket | 4am to midnight from JB CIQ |
| Causeway Link CW2 | JB CIQ to Queen Street | RM4.80 | S$4.80 | 24 hours |
| Causeway Link CW5 | JB CIQ to Newton | RM4.60 | S$4.60 | Check the LUGO app |
| KTM Shuttle Tebrau | JB Sentral to Woodlands | RM5 | S$5 | 5am to 10.45pm from JB Sentral |
CW1 is the commuter's bus. Land Transport Guru's listing, updated on 29 September 2026, has it leaving the JB CIQ every five minutes from 4am to 8am and again from 5pm to 10pm, and up to 30 minutes apart in between. You pay with a ManjaLink card, Visa, Mastercard or a LUGO app ticket, and you tap again each time you re-board after immigration. SBS Transit 160, 170 and 170X and SMRT 950 cross here as well.
The Shuttle Tebrau spends about five minutes on the rails. Tickets go on sale 30 days ahead. The first train to Singapore leaves JB Sentral at 5am, and the first one back does not leave Woodlands until 8.30am, which suits a commuter who sleeps on the Johor side.
Over 22 working days CW1 comes to RM57.20 going out and S$44 coming back by card. The train comes to RM110 and S$110.
Crossing at the Second Link
| Service | Route | From Johor | Back to Johor | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Causeway Link CW3 | Perling Mall and Bukit Indah to Jurong East | RM6.00 | S$5.00 | 4.20am to 9.30pm from Perling Mall |
| Causeway Link CW6 | CIQ Second Link to Boon Lay MRT | RM4.50 | S$5.00 | 5am to 10pm from the checkpoint |
| Causeway Link CW7 | CIQ Second Link to Tuas Link MRT | RM4.50 | S$4.50 | 5am to 10.15pm from the checkpoint |
CW3 is the one that matters to a tenant, because it starts in the housing areas. It leaves Perling Mall every 15 to 20 minutes, stops at AEON Bukit Indah and ends at the Jurong Town Hall interchange in Jurong East. The last bus home leaves Jurong at 11.30pm. Twenty-two working days cost RM132 going out and S$110 coming back.
Forest City has its own feeder bus, FC1, to the same checkpoint. The Forest City to Singapore guide on ForestCityCindy has that timetable.
The RTS Link: February 2027, fare still unknown
The RTS Link is the rail shuttle from Bukit Chagar, beside JB Sentral, to Woodlands North on the Thomson-East Coast Line. On 2 October 2026 Singapore's Land Transport Authority and Malaysia's Ministry of Transport said passenger service is now expected in February 2027, a month later than planned, and that the date still depends on safety certification. The ride is about five minutes and the line is built for up to 10,000 passengers an hour in each direction.
Nobody can tell you the fare yet. Malaysia's transport minister, Anthony Loke, said on 18 August 2026 that the two transport ministries will announce it together. The only numbers in print are an earlier reported range of RM15.50 to RM21.70 one way, and that range has not been approved. If the fare lands there, one RTS ride will cost six to eight times the CW1 bus.
The RM5 Shuttle Tebrau is expected to be withdrawn within months of the RTS opening, and no end date has been confirmed. So sign your lease on what runs today, and do not pick a home that only works with the RM5 train.
Driving or riding across every day
These are the Land Transport Authority's charges for Malaysia-registered vehicles. The main one goes up on 1 January 2027.
| Charge | Car | Motorcycle |
|---|---|---|
| VEP fee until 31 December 2026 | S$35 a day, after 10 free days a year | S$4 a day, after 10 free days a year |
| VEP fee from 1 January 2027 | S$50 every weekday, no free days | S$7 every weekday, no free days |
| Reciprocal Road Charge | S$6.40 each entry | None listed |
| Toll at Woodlands | S$0.80 when leaving Singapore | None listed |
| ERP with no on-board unit, from 2027 | S$10 flat on ERP operating days | S$3 flat on ERP operating days |
Weekends and Singapore public holidays carry no VEP fee, now and after the change. Until 31 December 2026 a weekday trip is also free of it if you enter from 5pm and leave by 2am. That evening window and the 10 free days both end when the new fees start.
For a car on an office day through Woodlands that is S$42.20 today and S$57.20 from January, before Malaysian tolls, petrol, parking and ERP. Over 22 weekdays it is about S$928 now and S$1,258 next year. A motorcycle pays S$88 over the same 22 days once its free days are used, and S$154 from January. My advice to tenants is the same every time: budget for the bus or the bike, and keep the car for weekends.
What homes are asking on each side
On 9 October 2026 RentalJB carried 66 homes for rent. Sixty-five show a price, from RM1,100 to RM8,500 a month, and the median is RM2,500. These are the ones a Causeway commuter would look at first.
| Building | Unit | Asking rent a month |
|---|---|---|
| Twin Galaxy, JB Town | Studio, 560 sq ft | RM1,900 |
| Putri Indah Condominium | 3 bedrooms, about 1,400 sq ft | RM2,000 |
| Trellis Residences | 1 bedroom, 510 sq ft | RM1,850 to RM2,000 |
| Trellis Residences | 2 and 3 bedrooms | RM2,500 to RM2,800 |
| Setia Sky 88, JB Town | 2 bedrooms | RM2,500 to RM2,600 |
| R&F Princess Cove Phase 1 | 3 bedrooms, 1,073 sq ft | RM3,600 |
| R&F Princess Cove Phase 1 | 4 bedrooms, 1,386 sq ft | RM5,000 |
| The Astaka, One Bukit Senyum | 3+1 bedrooms, 2,207 sq ft | RM7,500 to RM8,500 |
| Country Garden Danga Bay | 2 bedrooms, 699 sq ft | RM1,850 |
| Vista Tiara, Danga Bay | 2 bedrooms, about 800 sq ft | RM2,400 to RM2,500 |
| Vista Tiara, Danga Bay | 3 bedrooms, 940 to 1,071 sq ft | RM2,800 to RM3,100 |
Read each advert for how you reach the checkpoint. The two three-bedroom R&F Princess Cove adverts name the CIQ and the RTS as nearby and add RM200 for a car park. The Putri Indah advert says about five minutes to the CIQ. It also says level 3 with no lift. One Trellis Residences advert mentions a free residents' shuttle bus to the CIQ, and I would ask for that timetable before counting on it.
And these sit on the Second Link side.
| Building | Unit | Asking rent a month |
|---|---|---|
| Carnelian Tower, Forest City | Studio, 377 sq ft | RM1,300 |
| Encorp Marina, Puteri Harbour | Studio | RM2,100 |
| Sky Executive Suite, Bukit Indah | 1+1 bedrooms, 826 sq ft | RM2,200 |
| D'Inspire Residence, Taman Nusa Bestari | 3 bedrooms | RM2,200 |
| Double-storey house, Bukit Indah | 4 bedrooms | RM2,300 |
| 8scape Residences, Taman Sutera | 3 bedrooms | RM2,400 |
| Eco Nest, Iskandar Puteri | 2+1 bedrooms, 926 sq ft | RM4,000 |
| Southern Marina, Puteri Harbour | 2+1 bedrooms, 1,260 sq ft | RM4,600 |
Every figure is an asking rent on one unit, and units come and go, so open the current residential listings before you set a budget.
The monthly sum for three tenants
| Home | Rent | Crossing | Out, 22 days | Back, 22 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio, Twin Galaxy | RM1,900 | CW1 bus | RM57.20 | S$44 |
| 3 bedrooms, R&F Princess Cove | RM3,600 | Shuttle Tebrau | RM110 | S$110 |
| 1+1 bedrooms, Bukit Indah | RM2,200 | CW3 bus | RM132 | S$110 |
Add the ride from your door to the checkpoint or the bus stop. I have left it out because it depends on the building. Rent is the big line and the crossing is the small one, which is why I tell commuters to pay a little more for a home that shortens the morning.
The money on signing is a separate hurdle. On the usual 2 + 1 + 0.5 terms a RM2,500 home takes RM8,750 before stamp duty. The rental deposit guide shows what comes back, and the tenancy agreement guide covers the stamp duty and the clauses to read.
Five checks before you sign
- Do the crossing at your real hour. Go out and come back once on a working day before you pay a booking deposit. A Sunday viewing tells you nothing about Monday at 5.30am.
- Start with a one-year lease. The RTS fare, the 2027 VEP fees and the future of the RM5 train all get settled inside the next twelve months. Renew for longer once you know which crossing you use.
- Ask how you get from the lobby to the checkpoint. If the advert mentions a shuttle, ask for its timetable in writing.
- Ask what parking costs. Some buildings charge for the bay on top of the rent.
- Get the agreement stamped. The deadline is 30 days from signing, and the tenancy agreement guide shows how to do it yourself on MyTax.
Tell me where in Singapore you work
Send me your workplace, your budget and your move-in month. I will reply with homes on the right side of JB for your crossing, and tell you how each one gets to the checkpoint.
WhatsApp Chris +60 10-369 8656 Submit a rental requirementQuestions commuters ask
Can I live in Johor Bahru and work in Singapore?
Yes, and a great many people do. Between 300,000 and 400,000 people cross the Causeway and the Second Link every day, a figure Johor's transport committee chairman gave in March 2025. The renting side is an ordinary Johor tenancy. What decides whether it works for you is the checkpoint queue at the hour you travel, so try the crossing before you sign.
Where should I stay in JB if I work in Singapore?
Match the home to the checkpoint. If you work in the north, centre or east of Singapore you will use the Causeway, so look in JB city centre and Danga Bay. If you work in Tuas, Jurong or Boon Lay you will use the Second Link, so look at Bukit Indah, Perling and Iskandar Puteri, where the CW3 bus runs to Jurong East.
How much is the bus from JB to Singapore?
Causeway Link CW1 from the JB CIQ to Kranji MRT costs RM2.60, and S$2.00 by card or S$2.60 as a single ticket coming back. CW2 to Queen Street is RM4.80 and S$4.80. On the Second Link, CW3 from Perling Mall or Bukit Indah to Jurong East is RM6.00 and S$5.00 back, and CW7 from the checkpoint to Tuas Link MRT is RM4.50 and S$4.50. These are Land Transport Guru's listings, updated on 29 September 2026.
How much is the train from JB Sentral to Woodlands?
The KTM Shuttle Tebrau costs RM5 from JB Sentral to Woodlands and S$5 from Woodlands to JB Sentral. The ride takes about five minutes. Trains leave JB Sentral from 5am to 10.45pm and leave Woodlands from 8.30am to 11.45pm, and tickets go on sale 30 days ahead.
When does the RTS Link open and how much will it cost?
Singapore's Land Transport Authority and Malaysia's Ministry of Transport said on 2 October 2026 that passenger service is now expected in February 2027, subject to safety certification. The fare has not been announced. Malaysia's transport minister said on 18 August 2026 that the two transport ministries will announce it together. An earlier reported range of RM15.50 to RM21.70 one way has not been approved.
How much does it cost to drive a Malaysian car into Singapore every day?
On a weekday daytime trip through Woodlands, a Malaysia-registered car pays a S$35 VEP fee once its 10 free days a year are used, a S$6.40 Reciprocal Road Charge and a S$0.80 toll when leaving, which is S$42.20 before Malaysian tolls, petrol, parking and ERP. From 1 January 2027 the VEP fee is S$50 on every weekday with no free days and no free evening hours, so the same trip costs S$57.20.
How much is rent in JB near the CIQ?
Among the city-centre homes on RentalJB on 9 October 2026, a studio at Twin Galaxy in JB Town was asking RM1,900, two-bedroom units at Setia Sky 88 were asking RM2,500 to RM2,600, and three- and four-bedroom units at R&F Princess Cove Phase 1 were asking RM3,600 to RM5,000. These are asking rents for single units and they change, so check the current listings.
How much do I pay upfront to rent a home in JB?
The usual terms are 2 + 1 + 0.5: two months' rent as security deposit, one month's rent in advance and half a month as utility deposit. On a RM2,500 home that is RM8,750 on signing, before stamp duty on the tenancy agreement. The security and utility deposits come back after you move out, less proven deductions.
More on RentalJB
Asking rents are from the 66 residential listings on RentalJB on 9 October 2026, and details such as a shuttle bus or a parking charge are as stated in each advert. Causeway Link fares, hours and frequencies are from Land Transport Guru's route pages, updated on 29 September 2026. Shuttle Tebrau fares and times are from YouTrip (6 July 2026) and MoneyBees (June 2026). The RTS Link date is from the Land Transport Authority's release of 2 October 2026 and Malay Mail of the same day, the fare position is from The Edge (18 August 2026) and Malay Mail (3 April 2026), and the Shuttle Tebrau's expected withdrawal is from YouTrip (14 May 2026). Singapore vehicle charges are from the Land Transport Authority's OneMotoring page for Malaysia-registered vehicles, updated on 23 June 2026, and the fees from 1 January 2027 are from its announcement of 6 February 2026 as reported by Malay Mail and The Online Citizen. All were read on 9 October 2026 and can change, so confirm fares and fees before you travel. Sums over 22 working days are my own arithmetic.