Johor Bahru new launch guide: the RTS Link, neighbourhoods and prices in Malaysia

136 Johor Bahru new launch projects are selling now, and 23 more have a permit but no sales yet. List prices run from RM42k for the cheapest homes to RM10.65m at the top end.

Johor Bahru's links to Singapore and KL are changing fast. The RTS Link to Singapore is in its final testing, the ETS now runs from KL to JB Sentral, and the city centre is one of the flagship zones of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). This guide covers the city council side of JB: the old town, Tebrau, Mount Austin, Permas Jaya, Bandar Dato Onn and the neighbourhoods between them. Iskandar Puteri and Pasir Gudang are separate cities with their own area pages.

Quick answer: Johor Bahru city has 136 new launch projects selling and 23 upcoming. 21 of them launched in 2026, and 33,852 units are left in the 132 that show a count. The median entry price (each project's lowest list price) is RM633k: RM468k for high-rise and RM1.12m for landed. The RTS Link from Bukit Chagar to Woodlands North is targeted to open in Feb 2027.

See new launches in Johor Bahru

Source: PropLaunch listings (data as of 5 Nov 2026)

Johor Bahru in brief: the city, Tebrau and Plentong

Johor Bahru district had 1,711,191 people in the 2020 census. The district is split between two city councils: Johor Bahru city (MBJB), covered here, and Iskandar Puteri (MBIP) to the west, which includes Nusajaya, Medini and Skudai.

Projects here are grouped into six parts of the city:

• City centre and RTS Link: the old town between the Causeway and Bukit Chagar, Wadi Hana, Tanjung Puteri, Bukit Meldrum and Tasek Utara.
• Danga Bay, Uda, Tampoi and Kempas: the west side, from the Danga Bay waterfront and Bandar Baru Uda up through Tampoi to Kempas.
• Pandan, Molek, Ponderosa and Pelangi: the middle ring, between the city centre and the Tebrau Highway, including Southkey.
• Permas Jaya, Senibong and Johor Jaya: the east side along the Straits of Johor, towards Pasir Gudang.
• Mount Austin, Tebrau and Setia Indah: the north-east, around Mount Austin, Taman Daya, Setia Indah and Bandar Jaya Putra.
• Bandar Dato Onn and Kempas north: the north-west townships, including Bandar Dato Onn, Austin Duta and Nasa City.

The split follows a simple pattern. The city centre and the inner ring are mostly high-rise, while the northern townships are mostly landed. The city centre has 22 projects selling, 22 of them high-rise. In Bandar Dato Onn and Kempas north, 23 of 24 are landed.

Getting around: the RTS Link, trains, the Causeway and the highways

RTS Link. The Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link runs between Bukit Chagar in JB and Woodlands North in Singapore, with customs and immigration at both stations. It will carry up to 10,000 passengers an hour in each direction, and the trip between the two stations takes about 5 minutes. As of 2 Oct 2026, system tests and trial runs are due to finish by 31 Dec 2026, with passenger service targeted for Feb 2027. That target has moved before, and the fare has not been announced, so treat both as open until the two governments confirm them.

ETS and KTM Komuter. The Gemas to JB electrified double track opened in full in Dec 2025, adding 11 new stations across Segamat, Kluang, Kulai and Johor Bahru, and the ETS has run from KL Sentral to JB Sentral since 12 Dec 2025, according to Malay Mail. A KTM Komuter service in the south started in 2026, stopping at Kulai, JB Sentral, Kempas Baru, Pasir Gudang and Paloh, Bernama reported.

Shuttle Tebrau. The cross-border shuttle runs from JB Sentral to Woodlands Train Checkpoint in about 5 minutes. Under the agreement between the two countries, it ends six months after the RTS Link starts, according to the same Bernama report.

Source: Bernama and Malay Mail (as of 31 Oct 2026)

Elevated ART. For travel inside the city, Budget 2027 named the planned elevated Autonomous Rapid Transit (e-ART) as the main public transport solution for Johor Bahru, with more buses and Komuter trips in the meantime, Malay Mail reported. No construction or opening date has been set, so do not price a home on it yet.

Roads. The toll-free Eastern Dispersal Link runs from the end of the North-South Expressway at Pandan to the Causeway and the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar customs complex. The Tebrau Highway heads north through Tampoi towards Kota Tinggi, and the Johor Bahru East Coast Highway runs east towards Permas Jaya and Pasir Gudang. The Second Link to Tuas starts in Iskandar Puteri, on the far side of the district.

Johor Bahru new launch projects still selling

Every project here still has units for sale, newest launch first. Prices are list prices, from the cheapest unit to the most expensive. "Not shown" under units left means the listing has no count yet. Information, not an offer.

City centre and the RTS Link

Source: PropLaunch listings (data as of 5 Nov 2026)

The city centre is all about the RTS Link. Projects around Bukit Chagar, Wadi Hana and Tanjung Puteri are within reach of the station and the Causeway, and many are large towers: 9,136 of 20,839 units are still unsold where counts are shown. A big supply of similar units can slow resale and keep rents in check, so compare the units left in nearby towers before you book.

Danga Bay, Uda, Tampoi and Kempas

Source: PropLaunch listings (data as of 5 Nov 2026)

The west side mixes waterfront towers at Danga Bay with mid-priced high-rise around Bandar Baru Uda and Tampoi, and a few landed projects in Kempas. Its median entry price is RM468k. Some of the lowest list prices in the city are here, often on projects under a state affordable housing scheme with its own eligibility rules.

Pandan, Molek, Ponderosa and Pelangi

Source: PropLaunch listings (data as of 5 Nov 2026)

The middle ring sits between the city centre and the Tebrau Highway, close to Mid Valley Southkey and the Eastern Dispersal Link. 16 of its 19 projects are high-rise, with a median entry price of RM466k for high-rise.

Permas Jaya, Senibong and Johor Jaya

Source: PropLaunch listings (data as of 5 Nov 2026)

The east side runs along the Straits towards Pasir Gudang, from Permas Jaya and Senibong Cove to Johor Jaya. It has 15 projects selling, mostly high-rise, with a median entry price of RM456k.

Mount Austin, Tebrau and Setia Indah

Source: PropLaunch listings (data as of 5 Nov 2026)

Mount Austin, Tebrau and Setia Indah have 30 projects selling. The mix is wider than in the south: 19 landed and 11 high-rise. Landed homes here have a median entry price of RM1.12m, and the shops, schools and malls of Mount Austin and Taman Desa Tebrau are close by.

Bandar Dato Onn and Kempas north

Source: PropLaunch listings (data as of 5 Nov 2026)

The north-west is landed country: 23 of its 24 projects are landed, mostly terrace and semi-detached homes in Bandar Dato Onn, Austin Duta and Nasa City. Its median entry price is RM994k. A few phases near the bottom of the price range are low-cost homes with state eligibility rules, so ask the developer who can buy.

Upcoming projects: permit issued, no sales yet

23 Johor Bahru projects have a permit but no sales recorded yet, with 10,460 units between them. Their median entry price is RM717k, against RM633k for projects already selling.

Source: PropLaunch listings (data as of 5 Nov 2026)

Prices on upcoming projects can change before sales open. Once sales start, a project moves to the selling list, and its project page shows the change.

Price ranges: high-rise vs landed, area by area

Across the 82 high-rise projects selling in Johor Bahru, the median entry price is RM468k. Across the 54 landed projects, it is RM1.12m.

Source: PropLaunch listings (data as of 5 Nov 2026)

The southern parts of the city are almost all high-rise, so their medians stay lower. The two northern parts are mostly landed, which pushes their medians up. The top of each range is usually a penthouse or a bungalow, so look at the median, not the highest price.

Split by property type, the gap is clearer.

Source: PropLaunch listings (data as of 5 Nov 2026)

Serviced residences are the most common new home in the city. A serviced residence usually sits on commercial land, which can mean different utility tariffs and maintenance charges from a condominium, so ask the developer what the land title says. These are list prices for new units; for what homes have actually sold for nearby, check the transaction data published by NAPIC.

How launch prices have moved since 2019–20

New terrace, townhouse and cluster homes in Johor Bahru city that started selling in the latest period have a median list price of RM554 per sq ft, against RM394 per sq ft for those that started in 2019–20: a change of 41%. Each two-year period is listed with the number of projects behind its figure.

Median list price per sq ft of built-up area for each project, by the year its sales started, with price-controlled affordable schemes left out. These are developers' list prices, not what buyers paid, and each period's mix of projects is different.

Source: PropLaunch listings (data as of 5 Nov 2026)

A higher median can mean prices rose, or that newer launches are in pricier spots or offer different homes, so read it as a guide to direction rather than a precise rise. For what homes have actually sold for, check the transaction data published by NAPIC.

Foreign buyers and the JS-SEZ

Johor sets its own rules for foreign buyers. Under the state's housing policy, foreigners may buy residential property priced at RM1m and above, NST reported in Apr 2026. Developers can get special approval to sell cheaper units to foreigners, but those units can then be resold only to Malaysians while their value stays under RM1m. That limits who you can sell to later. Designated zones such as Medini in Iskandar Puteri have no threshold, but Medini is outside the city covered here.

The same report notes that stamp duty for foreign buyers is 8% from 1 Jan 2026. Most new launches in Johor Bahru city start well under RM1m, so a foreign buyer's choice is mainly the top of the high-rise range and the larger landed homes. Confirm the rules that apply to a specific unit with the developer and your lawyer, as state approvals vary by project.

The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone was signed in Jan 2025. It covers nine flagship zones across 357,128ha, and the Johor Bahru city centre is one of them, promoted for business services, the digital economy and health. The zone offers special tax rates to companies and some workers, which is one reason developers point to it. Job growth in the zone is a long-term story, so look at the rents nearby towers achieve today rather than at projected demand.

Hospitals, schools and malls

Hospital Sultanah Aminah, a public hospital, is in the city centre, and Hospital Sultan Ismail serves the Pandan and Mount Austin side. Private hospitals include KPJ Johor Specialist in the city and Columbia Asia Hospital in Tebrau, near Southkey. Gleneagles Medini is in Iskandar Puteri.

Several international schools are on the city side, including Austin Heights International School in Mount Austin and Excelsior International School in Bandar Dato Onn. Crescendo-HELP International School is just outside, in Ulu Tiram. Government primary and secondary schools are spread across every township. Places, fees and zoning change every year, so check with the school, or the Johor state education department for government schools, before you choose a home for its school.

For shopping, Tourism Malaysia's list includes Johor Bahru City Square in the city centre, The Mall, Mid Valley Southkey, Paradigm Mall on the Skudai Highway, and AEON Mall Tebrau City and Toppen Shopping Centre, home to IKEA Tebrau, in Taman Desa Tebrau.

Who Johor Bahru suits

The right part of the city depends on whether you cross the Causeway, and whether you want a house or a flat.

If you work in Singapore, the city centre projects near Bukit Chagar give the shortest trip to the RTS Link once it opens. Walk the route from the tower to the station, and plan for the Causeway by road until the RTS Link is running.

If you want a lower-priced flat, look at the high-rise projects in the west, the middle ring and Permas Jaya, with median high-rise entry prices of RM434k, RM466k and RM453k. The upcoming list adds more.

If you want landed, look at Mount Austin, Tebrau and Bandar Dato Onn, where most of the city's landed projects are selling. Use the affordability calculator to see what your income can carry before you visit a show house.

If you are buying to rent out, compare the asking rents of finished towers near the unit with the number of units still unsold around it. Run the numbers through the rental yield calculator. Viewings and price lists go through a registered estate agency.

Frequently asked questions

When will the RTS Link open?

Passenger service is targeted for Feb 2027, after system tests and trial runs due to finish by 31 Dec 2026. The date and fare will be announced jointly by Malaysia and Singapore, so check the latest official update before you rely on it.

Where is the RTS Link station in Johor Bahru?

At Bukit Chagar, in the city centre near the Causeway. The other end is Woodlands North in Singapore, about 5 minutes away, with customs at both stations.

How many new launches are there in Johor Bahru now?

As of 5 Nov 2026, 136 projects are selling and 23 are upcoming, with a permit but no sales yet. 21 of them launched in 2026, and 30 are in Mount Austin, Tebrau and Setia Indah.

What is the cheapest new launch in Johor Bahru?

The lowest list price among projects selling is RM42k. Homes at the bottom of the range are often low-cost or affordable units with state eligibility rules, so ask the developer who can buy.

Are there landed new launches in Johor Bahru?

Yes, 54 of the 136 projects selling are landed, mostly in Mount Austin, Tebrau and Bandar Dato Onn. The median entry price for landed homes is RM1.12m.

Can foreigners buy new launches in Johor Bahru?

Yes, from RM1m under Johor's state policy, unless the developer has special approval to sell cheaper units to foreigners. Foreign buyers pay 8% stamp duty from 1 Jan 2026. Confirm the rules for the unit with the developer and your lawyer.

Is Iskandar Puteri part of Johor Bahru?

It is in Johor Bahru district but is a separate city, under the Iskandar Puteri city council. Its projects, including Medini and Puteri Harbour, are on PropLaunch's Iskandar Puteri area page rather than in this guide.

Does PropLaunch sell these units?

No. PropLaunch is an information site, not a real estate agency, and does not negotiate sales. A registered estate agency arranges viewings and price lists.

Before you book in Johor Bahru

Choose the part of the city that fits your daily trip, then shortlist from the tables above. Check that the developer holds a housing developer's licence and a valid advertising and sales permit, issued by KPKT (the Ministry of Local Government Development) under the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Act 1966 (HDA). PropLaunch's developer check shows a developer's late and abandoned projects. Ask for the current price list and completion date, and check the land title and tenure.

For first-home buyers, the government proposed in Budget 2027 to extend the first-home stamp duty exemption to SPAs signed from 1 Jan 2027 to 31 Dec 2030, with a full exemption up to RM500,000 and 50% on the portion up to RM750,000. It is still a proposal, so confirm what applies with your lawyer or LHDN.

See new launches in Johor Bahru

This guide is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Rules and rates change; confirm the figures that apply to you with your bank, your lawyer or LHDN before you commit. PropLaunch is not a real estate agency.

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