Authored by the expert who managed and guided the team behind the Malaysia Property Pack
Yes, the analysis of Johor's property market is included in our pack
If you're a foreigner thinking about buying property in Johor, the first thing you need to know is that the state has a minimum purchase price of RM1,000,000 for foreign buyers, which changes everything about what budgets actually work.
In this guide, we break down what you can realistically buy at different price points in Johor, from $100k all the way to luxury, using actual transaction data and official sources updated for early 2026.
We also cover closing costs, annual taxes, mortgage options, and resale realities so you know what to expect beyond just the sticker price.
And if you're planning to buy a property in this place, you may want to download our pack covering the real estate market in Johor.
What can I realistically buy with $100k in Johor right now?
Are there any decent properties for $100k in Johor, or is it all scams?
As a foreigner buying in Johor, $100k (around RM402,000) is below the state's mandatory RM1,000,000 minimum purchase threshold, which means you generally cannot buy any residential property in your own name at this budget, regardless of how legitimate the listing looks.
The real risk at this price point in Johor is not scams but wasting time on deals you legally cannot complete, unless you fall into a special exception category like certain spouse or inheritance situations recognized by the Johor Land Office.
Even if you could bypass the foreign-buyer rule, $100k would not get you into popular or upscale Johor Bahru areas like Iskandar Puteri or Bukit Indah, because transaction data shows RM400,000 typically buys older, smaller stock in outer suburbs like Pasir Gudang or parts of Skudai.
What property types can I afford for $100k in Johor (studio, land, old house)?
At RM402,000 in Johor, local buyers would typically be looking at older small apartments or flats in non-prime suburbs, older terrace houses in cheaper pockets that often need renovation work, or land parcels far from the Johor Bahru and Iskandar core.
However, since foreign buyers in Johor cannot purchase below RM1,000,000, you would not be eligible for any of these property types in your own name, making condition level a moot point for this budget.
If you somehow qualified through an exception, you should expect meaningful renovation costs at the $100k level in Johor, typically RM30,000 to RM80,000 for a basic refresh and RM100,000 or more for older landed homes needing roof or waterproofing work.
What's a realistic budget to get a comfortable property in Johor as of 2026?
As of early 2026, the realistic minimum budget for a foreign buyer to get a comfortable property in Johor is around RM1,200,000 to RM1,600,000 (approximately $300,000 to $400,000 or €275,000 to €365,000), which clears the legal threshold and gives you actual choice in the market.
Most foreign buyers targeting a comfortable standard in Johor need to budget in the RM1,500,000 to RM2,000,000 range ($375,000 to $500,000 or €340,000 to €455,000) to access modern condos or decent landed homes in established suburbs.
In Johor, "comfortable" generally means a newer or well-maintained condo with facilities, security, and parking, or an older but livable landed home in a suburb with good access to malls, schools, and transport links.
The required budget in Johor can vary significantly by neighborhood, with areas like Iskandar Puteri and Puteri Harbour commanding premiums, while suburbs like Skudai or Tebrau offer more space per ringgit at similar price points.
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What can I get with a $200k budget in Johor as of 2026?
What "normal" homes become available at $200k in Johor as of 2026?
As of early 2026, $200,000 (around RM804,000) is still below Johor's RM1,000,000 minimum purchase threshold for foreign buyers, which means you generally still cannot purchase residential property in your own name at this budget.
For context, RM800,000 is where "normal" family stock starts appearing for local buyers in Johor, including older landed terraces in many Johor Bahru suburbs and mid-market condos ranging from 900 to 1,200 square feet, or landed terraces around 1,600 to 2,200 square feet built-up area.
By the way, we have much more granular data about housing prices in our property pack about Johor.
What places are the smartest $200k buys in Johor as of 2026?
As of early 2026, if you were buying as a local or qualified through an exception, RM800,000 stretches best in Skudai townships and the Pasir Gudang or Kota Masai corridor, where you get more space per ringgit compared to central Johor Bahru.
These areas are smarter buys at the $200k level in Johor because they offer larger landed stock and lower entry points, though they trade off some convenience and distance from the prime Iskandar lifestyle nodes.
However, for a foreign buyer purchasing in your own name in Johor, the smartest move at $200k is usually not buying yet but rather saving until you clear RM1,000,000 or exploring legitimate pathways that might change your eligibility, such as residency categories where applicable.
We have made this infographic to give you a quick and clear snapshot of the property market in Malaysia. It highlights key facts like rental prices, yields, and property costs both in city centers and outside, so you can easily compare opportunities. We’ve done some research and also included useful insights about the country’s economy, like GDP, population, and interest rates, to help you understand the bigger picture.
What can I buy with $300k in Johor in 2026?
What quality upgrade do I get at $300k in Johor in 2026?
As of early 2026, $300,000 (around RM1,206,000) finally clears Johor's RM1,000,000 foreign-buyer threshold, and the quality upgrade from $200k is dramatic because you can now actually purchase property legally and have real choice in the market.
Yes, $300k can absolutely buy a property in a newer building in Johor right now, because many newer Johor Bahru and Iskandar condos cluster around the RM1,000,000 to RM1,500,000 band, putting them within reach at this budget.
At RM1.2 million in Johor, you typically unlock features like managed facilities, security, covered parking, better building maintenance, and sometimes entry-level landed homes in nicer suburbs, which are simply not available at lower price points.
Can $300k buy a 2-bedroom in Johor in 2026 in good areas?
As of early 2026, yes, $300,000 (around RM1.2 million) can very often buy a 2-bedroom condo in good areas of Johor, and sometimes even a larger 2-bedroom plus study depending on building age and exact location.
Good areas in Johor where you can find 2-bedroom options at this budget include Puteri Harbour and Medini in Iskandar Puteri for modern condo stock, Bukit Indah for family convenience, and the Taman Molek or Taman Ponderosa area for a more established, higher-end suburban feel.
A typical $300k 2-bedroom condo in Johor offers around 900 to 1,200 square feet (roughly 85 to 110 square meters), which is comfortable for a couple or small family and competitive with what similar budgets buy in other Southeast Asian markets.
Which places become "accessible" at $300k in Johor as of 2026?
At $300,000 (around RM1.2 million) in Johor, you start seeing credible options in Iskandar Puteri lifestyle nodes, established Johor Bahru suburbs with good retail and school access, and select gated or guarded communities at the lower end of their pricing range.
These newly accessible areas in Johor are more desirable than lower-budget options because they offer modern facilities, better security, stronger rental demand from the Singapore-linked tenant pool, and generally smoother resale to other foreign buyers down the line.
In these newly accessible Johor neighborhoods for $300k, you can typically expect a well-maintained condo in a managed development, or occasionally an older but workable landed home in a good but not top-tier suburban pocket.
By the way, we've written a blog article detailing what are the current best areas to invest in property in Johor.
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What does a $500k budget unlock in Johor in 2026?
What's the typical size and location for $500k in Johor in 2026?
As of early 2026, $500,000 (around RM2,000,000) in Johor typically unlocks either a premium condo in a flagship location with views and lifestyle amenities, or a landed family home with more bedrooms and sometimes a yard in higher-end suburbs like Horizon Hills or Eco Botanic.
Yes, $500k can often buy a family home with outdoor space in Johor, because this is where semi-detached houses, larger terraces, and some gated community stock become realistic options depending on the specific neighborhood and land size.
At the $500k level in Johor, you can typically expect 3 to 4 bedrooms and 2 to 3 bathrooms for landed formats, or a spacious 3-bedroom condo of 1,400 to 1,800 square feet (130 to 170 square meters) in a well-located development.
Finally, please note that we cover all the housing price data in Johor here.
Which "premium" neighborhoods open up at $500k in Johor in 2026?
At $500,000 (around RM2,000,000) in Johor, premium neighborhoods that open up include Horizon Hills in Iskandar Puteri (a well-established gated community), the Eco Botanic and Setia Eco Gardens corridor (newer township feel), and parts of the East Ledang or Leisure Farm vicinity for more premium landed options.
These Johor neighborhoods are considered premium because they offer gated security, managed landscaping, proximity to international schools, golf course access, and a community feel that attracts higher-income locals and Singapore-based families seeking weekend or retirement homes.
For $500k in these premium Johor neighborhoods, you can realistically expect a well-finished terrace or cluster home in a gated community, a larger condo unit in a lifestyle development, or occasionally the lower end of semi-detached stock in slightly less central premium pockets.
We did some research and made this infographic to help you quickly compare rental yields of the major cities in Malaysia versus those in neighboring countries. It provides a clear view of how this country positions itself as a real estate investment destination, which might interest you if you’re planning to invest there.
What counts as "luxury" in Johor in 2026?
At what amount does "luxury" start in Johor right now?
In Johor, entry-level luxury starts at around RM2,500,000 (approximately $620,000 or €565,000), where you begin seeing either prime-location premium condos or notably better landed homes with gated security, newer construction, bigger land, and stronger prestige positioning.
At the entry luxury level in Johor, defining features include gated and guarded communities, waterfront or golf course positioning, larger land plots, branded developer projects, and premium finishes that distinguish properties from the mid-market.
Compared to Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, Johor's luxury threshold is significantly lower, which is part of its appeal for foreign buyers seeking more space and amenities per dollar, especially those crossing from Singapore for weekend homes.
For mid-tier luxury in Johor, expect to pay RM4,000,000 to RM6,000,000 ($1,000,000 to $1,500,000 or €910,000 to €1,365,000), while top-tier trophy homes can exceed RM10,000,000 ($2,500,000 or €2,275,000) for the most exclusive waterfront villas and bungalows.
Which areas are truly high-end in Johor right now?
The truly high-end areas in Johor right now are Puteri Harbour (premium waterfront condos and lifestyle), Medini (newer high-end launches), Leisure Farm and East Ledang (high-end landed reputation), and Horizon Hills (established gated community with golf course access).
These Johor areas are considered truly high-end because they combine waterfront or golf course settings, international school proximity, branded developer involvement, strong security and maintenance, and an established reputation among affluent Malaysian and Singaporean buyers.
The typical buyer profile for these high-end Johor areas includes Singaporean professionals seeking weekend retreats or retirement homes, wealthy Malaysian families from Kuala Lumpur or Penang looking for value, and a smaller segment of international retirees attracted by the Malaysia My Second Home program.
Don't buy the wrong property, in the wrong area of Johor
Buying real estate is a significant investment. Don't rely solely on your intuition. Gather the right information to make the best decision.
How much does it really cost to buy, beyond the price, in Johor in 2026?
What are the total closing costs in Johor in 2026 as a percentage?
As of early 2026, total closing costs for a foreign buyer in Johor typically range from 10% to 13% of the purchase price if the foreign-buyer stamp duty applies at 8% (as indicated in Budget 2026 materials), or around 6% to 9% if the older 4% rate applies to your transaction.
The realistic low-to-high percentage range for most standard transactions in Johor is 6% to 13%, with the wide spread driven primarily by whether you pay the higher or lower foreign-buyer stamp duty rate based on your instrument date and property type.
In Johor, the specific fee categories making up that total percentage are stamp duty (the largest item by far), legal fees for the Sale and Purchase Agreement and transfer documents, land office registration fees, and miscellaneous disbursements.
To avoid hidden costs and bad surprises, you can check our our pack covering the property buying process in Johor.
How much are notary, registration, and legal fees in Johor in 2026?
As of early 2026, Malaysia does not use traditional notaries like some countries, so your main costs in Johor are legal fees, stamp duty, and land office registration, with legal fees for a RM1.2 million purchase typically running RM15,000 to RM30,000 ($3,700 to $7,500 or €3,400 to €6,800) before stamp duty.
These fees in Johor typically represent around 0.8% to 1.2% of the property price for legal work (Sale and Purchase Agreement plus conveyancing), plus smaller land office and administrative fees that vary by title type.
In Johor, stamp duty is by far the most expensive fee category for foreign buyers, often exceeding all other fees combined, while legal fees follow a regulated scale set by the Solicitors' Remuneration Order.
What annual property taxes should I expect in Johor in 2026?
As of early 2026, annual property taxes in Johor consist of two main items: assessment tax (cukai pintu) paid to the local council, and quit rent (cukai tanah) paid to the state, with a typical condo owner paying around RM4,000 to RM5,000 ($1,000 to $1,250 or €910 to €1,140) per year in total.
Assessment tax in Johor Bahru is calculated at 12% of your property's assessed annual value (roughly equivalent to potential market rent), which means a property that could rent for RM3,000 per month would owe around RM4,300 in assessment tax annually.
Property taxes in Johor vary significantly based on property type and location, with strata condos typically paying RM100 to RM400 per year in quit rent, while landed homes pay RM300 to RM1,500 depending on land category and tenure.
There are no specific exemptions for foreign buyers in Johor, though some first-time local buyers may qualify for stamp duty relief on certain purchases under federal programs.
You can find the list of all property taxes, costs and fees when buying in Johor here.
Is mortgage a viable option for foreigners in Johor right now?
Yes, mortgage financing is viable for foreigners buying in Johor, but expect more friction than local buyers face, including stricter documentation requirements, lower loan-to-value ratios, and potentially higher interest rates depending on your profile.
Foreign buyers in Johor can typically access loan-to-value ratios of 60% to 70% (compared to 80% to 90% for locals), with interest rates varying by bank but generally running 0.5% to 1% higher than what Malaysians pay.
To qualify for a mortgage as a foreigner in Johor, banks typically require proof of income (tax returns or employment letters), credit history documentation, residency status information, and sometimes a larger down payment, so comparing at least 2 to 3 banks is recommended.
You can also read our latest update about mortgage and interest rates in Malaysia.
We made this infographic to show you how property prices in Malaysia compare to other big cities across the region. It breaks down the average price per square meter in city centers, so you can see how cities stack up. It’s an easy way to spot where you might get the best value for your money. We hope you like it.
What should I predict for resale and growth in Johor in 2026?
What property types resell fastest in Johor in 2026?
As of early 2026, the property types that resell fastest in Johor are mid-priced, well-located condos (because of their larger buyer pool and easier financing) and landed terraces in established suburban townships (because of steady family demand near schools and amenities).
A well-priced mid-market condo or terrace in good Johor suburbs typically sells within 3 to 6 months, while premium stock above RM2,000,000 can take 6 to 12 months or longer due to the smaller buyer pool and more negotiation involved.
In Johor specifically, properties that resell faster tend to be "boring in a good way," meaning clean titles, reasonable maintenance fees, normal layouts, and easy rentability to the Singapore-linked tenant pool that values convenience over flashiness.
The slowest-reselling properties in Johor tend to be oversized luxury units in developments with high vacancy, older projects with management issues or high maintenance fees, and landed homes in locations that are inconvenient for daily commuters to Singapore or Johor Bahru's commercial centers.
If you're interested, we cover all the best exit strategies in our real estate pack about Johor.
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What sources have we used to write this blog article?
Whether it's in our blog articles or the market analyses included in our property pack about Johor, we always rely on the strongest methodology we can ... and we don't throw out numbers at random.
We also aim to be fully transparent, so below we've listed the authoritative sources we used, and explained how we used them and the methods behind our estimates.
| Source | Why It's Authoritative | How We Used It |
|---|---|---|
| Johor Land and Mines Office (PTG Johor) | The state government's official rulebook for foreign property ownership. | We used it to confirm the RM1,000,000 minimum threshold and restricted property categories. We also referenced their special exception categories for spouse and inheritance cases. |
| Bank Negara Malaysia | Malaysia's central bank and the official source for exchange rates. | We used it to convert USD budgets to MYR using the late January 2026 reference rate. We applied this rate consistently across all budget calculations. |
| Brickz | A long-running Malaysian transaction database with transparent median reporting. | We used it to anchor what different budgets actually buy using real transaction data. We relied on medians rather than listing prices to avoid inflated expectations. |
| PwC Malaysia Tax Booklet | A professionally maintained interpretation of Malaysia's tax rules. | We used it to compute stamp duty rates including the foreign-buyer differences. We also referenced their Budget 2026 notes on rate changes. |
| KPMG Malaysia Budget 2026 Summary | A top-tier audit firm's direct technical summary of budget changes. | We used it to validate the foreign-buyer stamp duty increase for instruments from January 2026. We cross-checked this against PwC for accuracy. |
| Malaysian Bar (SRO 2023) | The profession's official publication of conveyancing fee scales. | We used it to size legal fees based on the regulated scale. We kept cost estimates grounded in this recognized framework rather than guessing. |
| Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) | The local authority explaining how assessment tax is calculated. | We used it to estimate annual local taxes from a rent-based proxy. We explained why assessment tax varies based on assessed annual value. |
| iProperty x Brickz | Surfaces township and building names with transaction medians. | We used it to provide actual neighborhood names rather than vague descriptions. We used township medians as a reality check against broader data. |
| PwC RPGT Section | Clear explanation of capital gains tax rates by holding period. | We used it to show resale tax brackets for non-citizens. We explained how quick resales can reduce returns due to the 30% rate within 3 years. |
| NAPIC (National Property Information Centre) | The official property data center under Malaysia's valuation department. | We used it to verify what official Johor market datasets are available. We triangulated our transaction-data approach against how Malaysia publishes market statistics. |
We created this infographic to give you a simple idea of how much it costs to buy property in different parts of Malaysia. As you can see, it breaks down price ranges and property types for popular cities in the country. We hope this makes it easier to explore your options and understand the market.
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