Is working remotely in JB for you?

SINGAPORE: If you’re tired of high living and rental costs in Singapore and have a job that allows you to work from anywhere, is Johor Bahru your best bet? After all, it’s less expensive, culturally not so very different from the Little Red Dot (compared to the rest of the world), and not that far away.

On the other hand, living in JB would mean saying goodbye to spontaneous meet-ups, late nights out with friends — and when you do want to come home, especially during the holidays,  contending with wall-to-wall traffic during peak hours.

But still, for anyone who’s ever dreamed of being a digital nomad, perhaps our nearest neighbour to the north would be a stepping stone, a chance to give the lifestyle a try before moving further afield.

Why not, right? Today, JB; tomorrow, the world.

If you do decide to take this route, here are a few things to consider.

Cost of living— that is the number one issue for most Singaporeans these days. According to Numbeo, the cost of living in Johor Bahru is a substantial 66.1per cent lower than in Singapore, excluding rent. With rent factored in, the cost of living in JB is a whopping 73.8 per cent lower, as rent is over 85 per cent less expensive there than in Singapore.

This means the Singapore dollar gets stretched far more than it is at home, thankfully. If you’re working in the gig economy and get paid based on the amount of work you do, it means you can hustle less and enjoy life more.

Numbeo also says that in Johor Bahru, restaurant prices are 57.8 per cent lower and groceries are 54.4 per cent cheaper than in Singapore.

Savings—If you do decide, however, to continue to hustle as much as it is humanly possible, living in JB naturally means more savings, which translates into more investments, if you play your cards right, and eventually, early retirement. Anyone with dreams of being part of the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement should take this into consideration.

Proximity—Do we need to say “nearest neighbour to the north” again? Johor Bahru is a scant 21.4 kilometres from Singapore, tops, and with the RTS Link scheduled to open right about the same time as the next Avengers movie makes its debut at the end of 2026 (fingers crossed), the trip will take all of six minutes.

However, before you pack your bags, please be aware that the digital nomad life isn’t all fun and games. There are legalities concerning one’s visa that must always be taken into account. (There’s a good explainer on the different possibilities for Singaporeans who want to work remotely in JB on the Moneysmart blog here.)

But even more than that, does anyone else remember the isolation we sometimes felt while working at home during the Covid years, especially for those who live alone? Living in a new country, even if it’s close by, can compound the loneliness one might feel, and it takes a while to build community. In other words, be prepared to spend a chunk of your downtime on your own, at least at the beginning. Forewarned is forearmed, as the saying goes.

Another note to gig workers: work may at times be unstable. You may not always know when the next gig comes around. This is why it’s important that your emergency fund of three to six months’ living expenses is in place before you go off on your next adventure, and you have to tell yourself not to touch this fund unless a real emergency rolls around. /TISG

Read also: With the rise of remote work, fewer Singaporeans may choose to work overseas