Malaysian Ringgit at a Low: How to Spend a Deeply Discounted Day in Johor Bahru

The exchange rate of Malaysian Ringgit to Singapore Dollars has fallen to a historic low of RM 2.75 to SGD 1. As such, shopping, eating and playing in Malaysia is even cheaper than what it used to be! So take some time to head across the border for some great bargains! Here is how a great day in Johor Bahru can look like, and the great savings you can enjoy:

Disclaimer: All SGD prices quoted for Malaysian goods are given at a SGD 1 : RM 2.77 exchange rate. As prices are not the same across all retailers, do remember to do some research before going on your trip.

Have a meal at Nandos

Image Credit:  Mr.TinDC

You should grab a meal at Nandos if you are headed to Johor Bahru. We used the Jumbo platter as a comparison for the purposes of this article and the price of the platter in Malaysia is RM 121.90 (SGD 43.96) as compared to the same platter in Singapore which costs SGD 90.00. That is about half the price!

Discount: Approximately 53%

Catch a Movie

If you are looking for something to do in Johor, why not catch a movie? Yes, catching a movie in Johor will be about 50% cheaper than in Singapore.

According to the online ticket booking service for Cathay Cinemas in both Singapore and Johor Bahru, one ticket for a 3D movie in Johor on a weekend will set you back by about RM 18 (SGD 6.47). This is in comparison to the Cathay Theatres in Singapore, where one ticket will set you back by SGD 14.

Discount: Approximately 53%

Also read: How To Travel Maldives on a Budget

Have a haircut

Image Credits: Sybren Stüvel

A male haircut in a small barber shop in Johor Baru averages RM 13 (SGD 4.69) while a haircut at the barber’s in Singapore may set you back by about SGD 10. Why not grab a haircut in Johor Bahru if you are in need of one?

Discount: Approximately 53%

Shop for clothes

Image Credits: Walter Lim

While we cannot give you a definite price on your savings by going to Johor to buy clothing,  clothing is generally agreed to be far cheaper in Johor than in Singapore as long as they are from local brands and not from imported brands (since Malaysia has higher taxes for imported goods, making imported goods quite expensive in Johor Bahru). If you don’t mind thrifted clothes, there are places like Big Bundle in Johor that you can get thrifted clothes starting from RM 2.

Discount: N/A as it varies widely.

Get your glasses done

Image Credits: Thomas Hawk

Although we cannot give you the exact figures of the frames and lenses, frames in Johor Baru are approximately 50% cheaper and the lenses are 20-30% cheaper than lenses from Singapore.

Discount: Approximately 20-30%

Also read: Budget Travel: 48 Hours in Kuala Lumpur with Just RM250

Have a shopping spree at the supermarket

Milk Powder

Image Credits: ProjectManhattan

Milk powder for all the little ones can be purchased for cheaper across the Causeway as well. Although some maintain that the contents of the milk powder in Malaysia have the same formulation as the milk powder in Singapore, some others have noted differences. As such, I would advise potential consumers to do your due research.

For this article, we did a price comparison across brands and selected package amounts that were closest in weight. We stated the prices by weight since the the weight of the milk powder sold is not the same for some brands.

As such, you can see that in Johor, the prices for milk powder are close to half that of Singapore across the milk powders listed here. The brand with the least discount was Nestle Nan H.A. 2, at an approximate 41% discount and the brand with the biggest savings was Frisogold Step 3, with an approximate 47% discount.

Discount: Approximately 41%- 47%

Yakult

Image Credits: Yakult Malaysia

We all love Yakult but some of us think that it is rather overpriced. So if you’re in Johor Bahru, don’t forget to drop by the supermarket to get a packet (or two, or three….) of Yakult. One double pack of Yakult Ace Light in Johor Bahru costs around RM 9.29, and yakult prices will be lower when discounts are offered by retailers. This means that the regular price for a 10-pack of Yakult ACE Light is only SGD 3.35 as compared to the price of SGD 3.85 for a pack of 5 in Singapore!

Discount: Approximately 56%

Magnum Ice Cream

Yes, you can get Magnum ice cream at more than half price across the causeway!

Image Credits: Rubber Slippers in Italy

The Magnum Mini with almonds in Singapore costs SGD 5 at regular prices as opposed to RM 10.90 (SGD 3.95) for a pack on Redmart. Likewise, a comparison of the Magnum Classic 3-Pack costs RM 10.19 (a whopping SGD 3.67) as opposed to in Singapore, where a Magnum Classic 3-pack costs SGD 10.90. As such, all Magnum fans have to buy a few packs of ice cream back from Johor Bahru… if they’re sure that there will be a smooth ride across the causeway, of course. Nobody is stopping anyone from consuming all the ice cream before you get back to Singapore, though!

Discount: Approximately 54% – 66%

If these discounts look good to you, then make a trip down to Johor Baru today!