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More Singaporeans are expressing an interest in a cross-border lifestyle of renting in Malaysia while continuing to work in Singapore. The escalating home and rent prices in Singapore, coupled with the favourable exchange rate between the two countries, which reached a high of S$1:RM3.57 in February 2024, has made living in Johor Bahru (JB) an attractive option. Some Singaporeans who made the move rejoiced at the cost savings from renting in JB. While others who had experimented for a few days lamented the tiring journey of having to travel back and forth each day. Between these two camps, we find out how feasible it is for Singaporeans to rent in Malaysia while working in Singapore. One group of Singaporeans who might be inclined towards this arrangement might be young Singaporean couples. They could be either waiting for their Build-To-Order (BTO) flats to be completed, which have a median waiting time of between 3 and 4 years, or those still attempting to ballot for one in the coming HDB BTO launches. If the couple were to stay in Singapore, they could choose to either rent a master bedroom (for added privacy) or an entire flat. For our cost assumptions, we will compare renting one master bedroom and an entire 3-room HDB flat in non-mature locations. According to the search results on PropertyGuru, a property listing portal, the asking rent for a master bedroom is between S$1,300 and S$1,800 per month. On the other hand, if the couple were to rent out an entire 3-room HDB flat, it would cost them between S$2,600 and S$2,800 per month, based on . Comparatively, based on listings on PropertyGuru, if the couple were to rent in JB (close to JB Customs), they could rent a 1-bedroom condominium unit at either Paragon Suites @ CIQ or R&F Princess Cove for between RM2,100 – RM2,500. From the above, we can see that renting in Malaysia could lead to substantial savings of around S$13,000 for a year. From a cost perspective, this makes a strong case for staying in Malaysia. However, another important factor to consider is the travel cost and time shuttling between JB and Singapore every day for work. For the couple staying in JB, they also have to factor in the additional time and money to cross the causeway before making their way down to their workplace. They could travel either by car, bus, or train. The cost and journey time for each mode of travel are as follows: Assuming the couple drives a Singapore-registered car, the Woodlands and Johor Bahru checkpoint toll charges for a round-trip are:   In total, it costs from Malaysia to Singapore. This translates to if the couple were to travel back to Singapore for 20 working days in a month. The journey time of travelling one-way in a car typically takes at least an hour during non-peak hours and up to around 3 hours during peak hours on a working day. However, for our assumptions, we will assume it takes the couple 2 hours to cross the causeway one-way, for a each day. Buses are a popular mode of public transport that are used for land border crossing. The cheapest fares are charged by SMRT bus services – 170, 170X, and 160. It cost S$1.30 (standard adult fare) one way from JB Customs to Kranji MRT. In total, it costs S$2.60 for each day of travel. This translates to if the couple were to travel back to Singapore for 20 working days in a month. However, these bus services are usually crowded and may require long waiting hours. Another option is the Causeway Link (CW) buses, which offer direct cross-border bus services. A trip from JB Custom to Singapore – Kranji MRT would cost RM2.60 (S$0.74). While a return trip from Singapore to JB Custom would cost S$2.60. In total, it costs S$3.34 for one round trip. This translates to if the couple were to travel back to Singapore for 20 working days in a month. The journey time includes the immigration clearance on both sides as well as the waiting time to take the bus from either JB Checkpoint or Kranji MRT station. While there is no official reference, it can be estimated to take around 1.5 to 2.5 hours one-way for a each day. Another option to cross the causeway is by train services, operated by KTM Shuttle Tebrau. If the couple is buying the two-way tickets originating from Malaysia, it will cost RM10 (S$2.86) for each person per day. This translates to for 20 working days in a month. While the train journey only takes 5 minutes to cross, you need to be at the train checkpoint 30 minutes before departure at JB Sentral. It may take another 10 to 20 minutes to clear Singapore customs. However, on the return, you need to be at the Woodlands train checkpoint 40 minutes before departure, but you would be able to clear both Singapore and Malaysia immigration at the same time before the train departure. The train travel time would take around 1 hour one-way, or of additional travel time each day. Among the three modes of transport, it is the most transparent and possibly the shortest during peak hours. Comparing the three options, the total travel time and cost per month for the couple would be:   While the additional cost is relatively smaller than the potential savings in rent, the couple would have to deal with an additional travel time of between 1 hour and 2.5 hours each way. Assuming the couple’s working place is Raffles Place and work starts at 9 am, they may spend at least 4 hours in total travelling time. This involves crossing the border during the morning rush hour and reaching their workplace in Singapore. In other words, they would need to wake up around 4 am, reach JB Customs by 5am, and take the train to Raffles Place from Kranji MRT station by 8 am. Similarly, they might only reach home around 9-10 pm if they were to end work at 6pm. This gives them a resting/sleeping time of around 6 hours each working day. Another group of Singaporeans who might be inclined towards this arrangement are Singaporean families who have an existing house in Singapore. With the rising rent in Singapore, they may look to capitalise on the arbitrage opportunity by renting out their Singapore property while staying in a rented unit in Malaysia. Assuming the family owns a 4-room HDB flat in a non-mature estate, based on , they could lease out their whole flat for between S$3,000–S$3,300 per month. On the other hand, if the family were to rent in JB, based on the listing on PropertyGuru, they could rent a 4-bedroom condominium unit at either Paragon Suites @ CIQ or R&F Princess Cove for RM3,500–RM5,000 per month.   After deducting the cost of renting in Malaysia, the Singaporean family would be able to gain between S$22,800 and S$24,000 in rental income over a year. Aside from the rental income, the family also needs to consider the travel time and cost of commuting for both spouses, as well as the school-going children. Based on the three available modes of transport to cross the causeway, here’s a breakdown of the cost and time it would take a family of four — two adults and two school-going children — for a month: *Student fare = $0.59 (one-way) While a Singaporean family may stand to gain between S$22,800 and S$24,000 in rental income over a year, they have to deal with longer and unpredictable travelling time of between 1 hour and 2.5 hours each way. Assuming the children’s school starts at 8 am, they would need to wake up around 3 am, get to JB Customs by 4 am, reach Kranji MRT station by 7 am, so that they have another hour to reach their school in Singapore. For the parents, if one were to end work later at 9 pm due to over-time (OT), they would likely reach home around 11 pm to midnight. This would result in spending less quality time with the children or other family members and also lesser sleep hours for themselves. Based on the two scenarios, we can observe that renting in Malaysia compared to staying in Singapore could be a financially rewarding move. Whether it’s saving from a lower rent cost or earning from a higher rent difference, the savings could be substantial for Singaporeans considering renting in Malaysia. That said, the trade-off is the time spent travelling back and forth between the two borders each day. For someone who needs to travel daily for work or school, the sacrifice would be the amount of rest time in between each day. There would also be less interaction time between family members, as the time would be better spent getting more sleep. Considering these two factors, unless one is willing to give up on their personal time with their family members and is also willing to put up with short sleep hours, including waking up at the wee hours of the morning, renting in Malaysia while working in Singapore might be unfeasible for most Singaporeans.