Living in Johor Bahru City Centre: R&F Princess Cove and the RTS Link
On 2 October 2026, the operator of the Johor Bahru to Singapore RTS Link confirmed that passenger service is targeted for February 2027, with system tests and trial runs due to finish by 31 December 2026. The 4km line will carry passengers between Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru and Woodlands North in Singapore in around five minutes, with capacity for up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction, according to Singapore’s Land Transport Authority. R&F Princess Cove, a waterfront township in Johor Bahru city centre, sits beside the line.
This guide explains the township, how the RTS Link changes daily life in Johor Bahru city centre and who the homes here suit.
Johor Bahru and the Johor Singapore Special Economic Zone
Johor Bahru is Malaysia’s southern gateway, facing Singapore across the narrow Straits of Johor. In January 2025 the two governments signed the agreement for the Johor Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), a joint zone designed to draw investment into Johor with tax incentives and easier cross border movement. The New Straits Times reported in July 2026 that the zone achieved RM 76.98 billion, about USD 18.9 billion, in approved investments during 2025.
For residents, that investment means new offices, data centres and factories across southern Johor, and steady demand for homes close to the border.
R&F Princess Cove at a glance
R&F Princess Cove is a waterfront township developed by R&F Properties, a Guangzhou based property group, along the Straits of Johor in Johor Bahru’s central business district, just over 1km from Singapore. A 650 metre covered pedestrian bridge links the township with the customs, immigration and quarantine complex at the Causeway, and R&F Mall, the township’s shopping centre, connects to the residential towers by a dedicated bridge.
The township is planned around hotel, office, park, shopping, clubhouse and apartment uses, with a marina along the waterfront.
Phase 2, Seine Region
Seine Region is the sea view phase of Princess Cove, with handovers from April 2024. It won Best Luxury High Rise Development (Southern) at the 11th PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards, a regional awards programme for developers. Facilities include a swimming pool, a gym, a jogging track, a sauna, a yoga room, a snooker room, a table tennis room and a children’s playground.
Phase 3, New Casa Suites
New Casa Suites is the third phase, a large serviced apartment community of 4,385 homes, according to The Edge Malaysia. Layouts run from compact studios of 313 sq ft to family homes of 1,555 sq ft, with one bedroom homes of around 556 to 578 sq ft and two bedroom homes of around 820 to 876 sq ft in the published floor plans.
Its Urban Sky Park, a raised facilities deck, holds a 50 metre swimming pool, a children’s pool, tennis and basketball courts, indoor badminton, a gym, a yoga room, children’s play areas, a nursery, a multifunction hall and an elevated jogging track.
Daily life in Johor Bahru city centre
Johor Bahru city centre has its own rhythm, with Jalan Wong Ah Fook and the heritage streets of Jalan Tan Hiok Nee for food and cafés, and the waterfront for evening walks. Singapore is part of everyday life here. Many residents work, study or shop across the border, and the RTS Link will connect at Woodlands North with the Thomson East Coast Line, which runs through central Singapore to the city’s financial district.
For families, the international schools of Iskandar Puteri and Johor Bahru, including world class British curriculum campuses, sit within a 30 minute drive, and Singapore’s schools are within reach for those with the right passes.
Buying in Johor as a foreigner
Johor sets a minimum purchase price of RM 1 million, about USD 246,000, for foreign buyers of residential property under the state land office’s guidelines, with state consent for each purchase. Since 1 January 2026, non citizens have paid a flat 8% stamp duty on property transfers. Some developments in designated zones carry specific approvals, so your lawyer will confirm the rule that applies to the unit you choose.
MM2H participants can also look at Forest City, the island township in Johor’s Special Financial Zone, which offers its own MM2H category with a lower deposit for applicants aged 50 and over.
Who Princess Cove suits
R&F Princess Cove suits professionals who work in Singapore and want a larger home in Johor Bahru, Singaporean families looking for a second home close to the border, and investors who see the RTS Link as the start of a new commuter pattern. It also suits residents who want city convenience, with a mall, hotel and waterfront promenade within the township.
Browse Malaysia homes on the ALM property portal as Johor listings are added, and read our MM2H 2026 requirements guide if you plan to live here on a long stay pass.
Ringgit converted at RM 4.07 to the US dollar, September 2026. Rules and rates stated as at October 2026.
