City in Malaysia
Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru is the capital of Johor, at Malaysia's southern tip across the Johor Strait from Singapore. The district has about 1.8 million residents, and a causeway links the city to Singapore. A British boarding school nearby says most of its pupils from Singapore and Malaysia are expats. [P1] [B3] [Johor Bahru S1]
- Country
- Malaysia
- Region
- Johor
- Population
- 1,813,400 in 2025. Johor Bahru administrative district, DOSM estimate dated 1 January 2025, rounded to the nearest hundred; the district is larger than the city proper (858,118 at the 2020 census, per Wikipedia citing DOSM). [P1] [B1]
- Settings
- In a city [P1]
- Weather
- Warm all year [W3]
Why it is here
Why Johor Bahru is on the list.
A city is listed when there is evidence that people move there. This is the evidence.
- The Johor–Singapore Causeway links Johor Bahru to Woodlands in Singapore; Wikipedia, citing news reports, puts it at 250,000 to 400,000 road and rail travellers on a typical day. [B3]
- DOSM's 2025 estimate counts 158,400 non-citizens in the Johor Bahru district, 9% of its residents. The group includes migrant workers and students as well as professionals and retirees. [P1]
- Marlborough College Malaysia, an independent British boarding and day school in Iskandar Puteri about 15 minutes from the Singapore border, says that, of its pupils from Singapore and Malaysia, around three-quarters are expat pupils. [Johor Bahru S1]
- The Immigration Department's Johor state office is in the Home Affairs Ministry complex in Taman Setia Tropika, Johor Bahru. [M1]
The Fernshore Index
How it grades, factor by factor.
Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.
Cost of living
92 of 100StrongCountry figure
Price level 0.316 of United States prices (2025).
Source: Price level index (GDP), Malaysia. Checked 15 October 2026.
Climate
0 of 100WeakCountry figure
Kuala Lumpur, the main city (Subang station): 0 comfortable months a year; every month has an average daily high above 30 °C.
Source: Climate normals 1991–2020, Subang (WMO 48647). Checked 15 October 2026.
Safety
73 of 100StrongCountry figure
Global Peace Index 2026: 12th of 163.
Source: Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank. Checked 15 October 2026.
Healthcare
67 of 100StrongCountry figure
WHO UHC service coverage index 80 (2023), on the strong anchor.
Source: UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1). Checked 15 October 2026.
Schools
UnknownCountry figure
Our research doesn't cover schools yet.
Community
65 of 100MixedCountry figure
Expat Insider 2026 Ease of Settling In: 13th of 31.
Source: Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In. Checked 15 October 2026.
Lifestyle
58 of 100MixedCountry figure
Expat Insider 2026 Quality of Life: 17th of 31.
Source: Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life. Checked 15 October 2026.
Work and career
50 of 100MixedCountry figure
Mixed: a residence route for remote workers exists (DE Rantau Nomad Pass), but fixed broadband is 13.5 per 100 people (2024), under the 30 line.
Source: DE Rantau Nomad Pass FAQ, version 10.0 (28 August 2026); Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Malaysia. Checked 15 October 2026.
Retirement
50 of 100MixedCountry figure
Mixed: the MM2H Silver pass runs five years and is renewable, but needs a fixed deposit of about US$150,000, over the US$100,000 line; the page names no path to permanent residence. To be safe, have more than US$160,000.
Source: MM2H Silver category. Checked 15 October 2026.
Internet
30 of 100WeakCountry figure
13.55 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people (2024).
Source: Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Malaysia. Checked 15 October 2026.
English
88 of 100StrongCountry figure
EF EPI 2025 score 581, 24th.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Malaysia. Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, United States passport
50 of 100MixedCountry figure
Mixed: a stay of a year or more is open without a Malaysian job offer (DE Rantau Nomad Pass: 3 to 12 months, renewable once for 12 more, 24 at most), the main holder must be over 18, and there is no deposit or investment. The income test is above US$60,000 a year for most roles (above US$24,000 for tech roles), so the about US$60,000 limit for a strong grade is not met for non-tech work. To be safe, have more than US$61,000. US citizens are not on the immigration list of countries that need no visa for any purpose, so a visa with reference may be needed to re-enter for the pass endorsement.
Source: DE Rantau Nomad Pass FAQ, version 10.0 (28 August 2026); Visa requirements by country (Keperluan Visa Mengikut Negara). Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, Canada passport
50 of 100MixedCountry figure
Mixed: a stay of a year or more is open without a Malaysian job offer (DE Rantau Nomad Pass: 3 to 12 months, renewable once for 12 more, 24 at most), the main holder must be over 18, and there is no deposit or investment. The income test is above US$60,000 a year for most roles (above US$24,000 for tech roles), so the about US$60,000 limit for a strong grade is not met for non-tech work. To be safe, have more than US$61,000. Canada is on the immigration list of countries that need no visa for any purpose.
Source: DE Rantau Nomad Pass FAQ, version 10.0 (28 August 2026); Visa requirements by country (Keperluan Visa Mengikut Negara). Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, Australia passport
50 of 100MixedCountry figure
Mixed: a stay of a year or more is open without a Malaysian job offer (DE Rantau Nomad Pass: 3 to 12 months, renewable once for 12 more, 24 at most), the main holder must be over 18, and there is no deposit or investment. The income test is above US$60,000 a year for most roles (above US$24,000 for tech roles), so the about US$60,000 limit for a strong grade is not met for non-tech work. To be safe, have more than US$61,000. Australia is on the immigration list of countries that need no visa for any purpose.
Source: DE Rantau Nomad Pass FAQ, version 10.0 (28 August 2026); Visa requirements by country (Keperluan Visa Mengikut Negara). Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, New Zealand passport
50 of 100MixedCountry figure
Mixed: a stay of a year or more is open without a Malaysian job offer (DE Rantau Nomad Pass: 3 to 12 months, renewable once for 12 more, 24 at most), the main holder must be over 18, and there is no deposit or investment. The income test is above US$60,000 a year for most roles (above US$24,000 for tech roles), so the about US$60,000 limit for a strong grade is not met for non-tech work. To be safe, have more than US$61,000. New Zealand is on the immigration list of countries that need no visa for any purpose.
Source: DE Rantau Nomad Pass FAQ, version 10.0 (28 August 2026); Visa requirements by country (Keperluan Visa Mengikut Negara). Checked 15 October 2026.
The country
More on Malaysia.
Cities
Other cities in Malaysia.
Questions about Johor Bahru.
How much does it cost to live in Johor Bahru?
Two adverts seen in October 2026: a furnished 574 sq ft one-bedroom in Bukit Senyum at RM 2,100 a month, and a one-bedroom at Marina Cove in Taman Iskandar at RM 1,500. Both are single asking rents and availability is unconfirmed. Other living costs are unknown.
How easy is it to get from Johor Bahru to Singapore?
The Causeway links Johor Bahru to Woodlands; Wikipedia, citing news reports, puts it at 250,000 to 400,000 road and rail travellers on a typical day. The RTS Link is expected to start passenger service in February 2027, with a journey of about five minutes, its operator says. Entry rules are not covered here.
Where is the immigration office in Johor Bahru?
The Immigration Department's Johor state office is in Block 1 of the Home Affairs Ministry complex, Taman Setia Tropika, Johor Bahru. The DE Rantau Nomad Pass is applied for online with MDEC and covers Peninsular Malaysia, where Johor lies. Rules differ by passport.
Are there international schools near Johor Bahru, and who lives there?
Marlborough College Malaysia, in Iskandar Puteri about 15 minutes from the Singapore border, says around three-quarters of its Singapore and Malaysia pupils are expats; it teaches IGCSE. DOSM counts 158,400 non-citizens in the Johor Bahru district, 9%, including migrant workers and students.
What is the weather like in Johor Bahru?
No climate normals for Johor Bahru itself were found, so its weather is unknown here. The nearest published station in Johor, Mersing on the east coast about 130 km away, shows daily highs of 29.2 to 32.8 °C. Canada describes haze from roughly June to October and monsoon rains from November to March.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [P1] Population Table: Administrative Districts, Department of Statistics Malaysia (OpenDOSM). Checked 15 October 2026. OpenDOSM population table for administrative districts (annual estimates, dated 1 January 2025, published in thousands to one decimal), 'both sexes, all ages' rows. Johor Bahru district: 1,813.4 thousand residents; 'others (non-citizen)' group 158.4 thousand.
- [B3] Johor–Singapore Causeway, Wikipedia (secondary). Checked 15 October 2026. Says the Causeway links Johor Bahru to Woodlands in Singapore and that 250,000 to 400,000 people use it on a typical day (citing CNA and Malay Mail); the first sentence is uncited. Singapore's immigration authority was not opened for a count.
- [Johor Bahru S1] Marlborough College Malaysia, Marlborough College Malaysia. Checked 15 October 2026. The school's own site: independent British boarding and day school for ages 3 to 18 in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, about 15 minutes from the Singapore border; majority of pupils from Singapore and Malaysia, and of these around three-quarters are expat pupils and a quarter Malaysian or Singaporean; IGCSE, with the IB Diploma planned subject to authorisation; opening year not stated.
- [B1] Johor Bahru, Wikipedia (secondary). Checked 15 October 2026. Coordinates 1.45556 N, 103.76111 E from the infobox; capital of Johor; city proper 858,118 people in 2020 (Wikipedia, citing the census; not checked against DOSM here).
- [W3] Climate normals 1991–2020, Mersing (WMO 48674), MetMalaysia (WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020 via NOAA NCEI). Checked 15 October 2026. Nearest published station in Johor state (east coast, about 130 km from Johor Bahru); used only to show the weather type: monthly mean daily highs 29.2 to 32.8 °C, so warm all year. Not used for a score.
- [M1] Immigration Department of Malaysia: address and location of state offices, Immigration Department of Malaysia. Checked 15 October 2026. Johor state office: Blok 1, Kompleks Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN), Taman Setia Tropika, 81200 Johor Bahru. The page has some labelling slips (for example the Kedah block is headed Perlis); the entries used here are the ones for this state.
- [C1] Price level index (GDP), Malaysia, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 31.63 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [W1] Climate normals 1991–2020, Subang (WMO 48647), MetMalaysia (WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020 via NOAA NCEI). Checked 15 October 2026. Subang, the station used for Kuala Lumpur, the main city for Malaysia's climate grade. Monthly mean daily highs 32.0 to 33.7 °C; rain 145.8 to 355.8 mm a month, so 0 comfortable months. The station is at Subang airport in Selangor, west of the city centre.
- [Malaysia S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. Malaysia ranks 12th of 163 countries (score 1.513).
- [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Malaysia: 80 out of 100 (2023), read from the WHO GHO API (UHC_INDEX_REPORTED) on 15 October 2026.
- [Q1] Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Malaysia ranks 13th of 31 countries.
- [Q2] Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Malaysia ranks 17th of 31 countries.
- [K1] DE Rantau Nomad Pass FAQ, version 10.0 (28 August 2026), Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC). Checked 15 October 2026. Professional Visit Pass for remote workers and freelancers: 3 to 12 months, renewable once for 12 more (24 months at most); income above US$24,000 a year for tech roles and above US$60,000 for other roles; open to all nationalities except Israel; main holder over 18; stay only in Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan, not Sabah or Sarawak; most banks do not open accounts for pass holders.
- [K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Malaysia, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 13.55 per 100 people, read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [R1] MM2H Silver category, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), MM2H portal. Checked 15 October 2026. Page last updated 10/02/2026. Fixed deposit US$150,000 in a Malaysian bank; five-year pass with multiple entry, renewable every five years (renewal fee RM 1,500); no minimum age stated for the main applicant; no mention of permanent residence.
- [F1] EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Malaysia, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026. Score 581, global rank 24; the page does not state the number of countries. The 2026 edition was not yet published on 15 October 2026.
- [V1] Visa requirements by country (Keperluan Visa Mengikut Negara), Immigration Department of Malaysia (Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia). Checked 15 October 2026. Page shows Australia, Canada and New Zealand among the countries that need no visa for any purpose of entry; the United States is not on that list, so a visa with reference (VDR) may be needed before re-entry for the pass endorsement. Page header dated 15 October 2026.