Malaysia · Visit or make it home

Johor Bahru

Johor Bahru is a city in Malaysia. Compare its dated local facts and monthly climate before choosing a time to visit or planning a move. Housing references and national earnings describe different populations; verify the costs of your own home and job before deciding.

Johor Bahru — 富力公主湾 R&F Princess Cove (cropped)

Get to know Johor Bahru

A sense of the place

Johor Bahru is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Johor. It is the core city of Johor Bahru District, Malaysia's second-largest district by population and economy. For the city proper, Johor Bahru had a population of 858,118 in 2020, making it Malaysia's largest state capital city by population. It is located at the southern end of the Malay Peninsula, bordering the city-state of Singapore. As a major financial and business centre in Malaysia, Johor Bahru is Malaysia's second best-performing city behind only Kuala Lumpur, in terms of economic competitiveness, prosperity, and ease of doing business, according to the World Bank. It has the third highest quality of life in ASEAN, after Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, with the fastest urbanisation growth and internet speed among Malaysian cities. As one of the world's 100 most visited cities, Johor Bahru has the busiest land border crossing globally, via the Johor-Singapore Causeway, KTM Intercity and the future RTS Link to Singapore. Johor Bahru is served by Senai International Airport and the world's 15th-busiest port, Tanjung Pelepas.

Weather through the year

When to visit Johor Bahru

Temperature

May has the warmest monthly average (28.1°C); January is coolest (25.9°C). These averages include nights, so daytime highs can be considerably warmer.

Rain and outdoor plans

December averages about 300 mm of rain, compared with 102 mm in February. For an outdoor-focused trip, compare the drier months before choosing dates.

Planning time outdoors

Monthly mean temperatures reach at least 25°C in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. For sightseeing, plan shade, water breaks and accommodation cooling into your day; daytime temperatures can be higher than these day-and-night averages.

Monthly climate averages — 2001-2020
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average °C25.926.227.027.828.127.627.127.127.127.326.926.3
Rain, mm235102168193199164174173167210283300

Source: NASA POWER climatology · Reference period: 2001-2020. Long-term averages for the surrounding grid area. Conditions vary within a city; monthly averages are neither a forecast nor a guarantee of dry days.

Places around Johor Bahru

Build your shortlist for a day out. Distances are straight-line from the city centre; check routes and opening times before setting off.

Average rent in Johor Bahru

What is the average rent in Johor Bahru?

A verified average rent for Johor Bahru is not available in the evidence shown here. Do not substitute another city’s price or a national estimate. Compare current properties for the same home size and neighbourhood, then include utilities, deposits and daily transport when building a budget for a visit or move.

Average salary in Johor Bahru

What is the average salary in Johor Bahru?

697.8 USD/month is the gross employee-pay reference dated 2020. It describes Malaysia, not average salary in Johor Bahru. Gross pay is before deductions; household earnings depend on the household model. Use a current offer and your own tax circumstances for take-home budgeting.

Source: ILO — Average gross monthly earnings of employees · Reference date: 2020 · CC BY 4.0 (ILO datasets published from 3 May 2023)

How should I compare Johor Bahru with another city?

Compare the same dated measures for both cities, keeping local observations separate from national context. Start with rent, your expected income and the journeys you will make regularly. Then adjust the comparison weights to your priorities. Missing measurements do not prove an advantage; verify decisive costs and services with current local sources.

  1. Choose a comparison below and read its sources and dates.
  2. Set priorities for housing, work, transport and climate.
  3. Check current listings and your own income before making a decision.

Data sources, licences & reuse terms

Plan your stay

Budget and everyday decisions

A holiday budget

Compare accommodation for your actual dates in Johor Bahru, then add the journey here, airport transfers, meals and the activities you want. A cheap room outside the centre can cost more overall if it adds daily transport.

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A relocation budget

Use the planner below to compare housing, daily spending and the cost of your move.

Include the deposit, utilities, internet and commuting. Compare those costs with your own expected take-home income.

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Your relocation planning budget

Build a monthly budget for Johor Bahru in euros. Totals are calculated from the amounts below, not live quotes. Enter a housing amount for your chosen home.

Monthly total: Enter all five monthly amounts

First month including move: Enter your moving costs too

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Compare the details

Johor Bahru at a glance

Malaysia: the wider context

These are country-level figures, not measurements of Johor Bahru. Use them to compare national conditions; neighbourhoods, salaries and individual services can differ substantially.

See 10 national indicators

Other places to compare in Malaysia

What to check before deciding

Comparable figures are not available here for: Annual sunshine hours; Seismic hazard (ordinal 0 very-low to 4 high); Public-transport provision (ordinal proxy); Distance to nearest sea / coastline; Distance to nearest mountains (>1500 m); Monthly rent, 1-bedroom, city centre. Check the items that affect your plans with local providers. They are not treated as zero or as an advantage in recommendations.

Compare Johor Bahru with other cities

Read the source dates, choose your priorities and keep unavailable values separate from costs you know.

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