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Work in Singapore worth it for the SGD or too tiring?

JB people commute daily to SG. Salary in SGD looks good but the causeway jam is crazy. Is it worth it in the end?
Anonymous asker ·Asked on 19 days ago ·168 views ·4 answers

4 contributors answered

Best Answer
Kakak Bank Suhaila Beginner First-hand experience Ex-loan officer, I explain DSR, CCRIS, CTOS and why your loan kena reject.
Commuted from JB to SG for years, so real talk. The money is genuinely life-changing because of the exchange rate, SGD earned and spent/saved in RM stretches far, you can afford a nice house and lifestyle in JB that a KL salary can't match. BUT the daily grind is brutal and people underestimate it: you wake at 4 to 5am to beat the causeway jam, reach home 8 to 9pm, and by the time you eat and shower you sleep, repeat. Years of that wears down your health, family time, and social life, it's a real trade-off, not free money. Who it works for: singles or those saving hard for a specific goal (house, capital), people who can get a motorbike lane or company transport, or those who eventually rent/stay in SG during the week. Who it doesn't: people with young kids they never see, or anyone whose body can't take the sleep deprivation. My honest advice: do it with a clear GOAL and a time limit (e.g. 5 years to build capital), not forever mindlessly. Also consider staying in SG partway to cut the commute. Calculate the SGD net after CPF and SG living cost, not just the gross.
Anonymous contributor Beginner First-hand experience
Watch out for the RTS Link coming, it's supposed to make the JB-SG commute way easier and faster (train instead of causeway crawl). Might totally change the equation soon. If commute is your only worry, that could solve a big part of it. Otherwise consider getting a PR or renting a room in SG so you don't die on the causeway daily.
Grab Driver Kumar Beginner First-hand experience Full-time Grab 6 years, I know petrol cost, incentive game and best makan spots lah.
The exchange rate makes it very worth it purely financially, 1 SGD is like 3.4+ RM, so even a normal SG job pays like a manager salary in JB terms. If you get a motorbike you skip a lot of the car jam at the causeway too. For a young person with no kids trying to build savings fast, hard to beat. Just prepare for the tiring commute.
Anonymous contributor Beginner First-hand experience
I did the JB-SG commute for 3 years then burned out from the 4am wakeups. Money was great, I saved a lot and bought a house cash-ish, but I barely saw my family and my health suffered. I moved back to a Malaysia job with less pay but I'm happier and sleep properly. Do it for a goal, then get out, don't let it become your whole life.

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