Singapore’s Cheapest Condo: S$570,000 for 398 sq ft on a Lease With 47 Years Left — What the Same Money Buys in Johor Bahru

Over the past 12 months Singapore recorded 11,993 condominium resales. Only 535 of them went for S$800,000 or less — roughly one in 22. The cheapest was S$570,000. Put that number next to Johor Bahru and it tells you more than any price-growth chart.

What the cheapest private homes in Singapore look like

These are the lowest-priced projects transacted over the past 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026), from Urban Redevelopment Authority transaction records. Executive condominiums are excluded.

Across this cheapest tier the typical unit is 463 sq ft, and 42% are freehold. The Hillford is about an 11-minute walk from Beauty World MRT.

One more comparison makes the point

Over the same 12 months, 5,548 resale HDB flats sold for S$800,000 or more, and 1,807 of them went above S$1 million.

The growth column, stated honestly

Owners of these cheapest units who resold over the past year held for about nine years on average and made roughly 19% on paper, before costs. Across all condo resales in the same period the average was 46%. The Hillford on its own came in around 29%, over a similar holding period.

These are historical figures from the Singapore market. They are not a projection for Johor Bahru. This site does not publish return projections — if you are shown any guaranteed rental return scheme, get the terms, the guarantor and the length of the guarantee in writing before you discuss it further.

The same money, on the Johor Bahru side

All three projects below sit in the checkpoint corridor. The figures come from this site’s own project pages — they are not estimates. For Aethera and Arden these are the price ranges on the advertising permit, the floor and ceiling the developer declared to the housing authority. CTC SkyOne’s developer has not published a formal price list, so that row is an indicative range. Distances are walking distances to the CIQ and RTS.

Set the two tables side by side and the difference is not the price figure itself. It is the floor area and the tenure the same money buys: 398 sq ft on a lease with 47 years left on one side; on the other, RM1.81 million falls inside the price range of all three of those projects, with floor areas starting above a thousand square feet.

Converted at 1 SGD to 3.18 MYR (indicative market rate, 22 October 2026). Rates move daily; the bank’s rate on the day of signing is what counts.

The line a foreign national has to clear first

Worth settling before you spend time on projects. Johor sets a minimum purchase price of RM1,000,000 for foreign nationals (Johor Land and Mines Office).

• Singapore citizens: the RM649,000 end of the table above is out of reach. What you can buy sits above RM1 million — which happens to be the main larger layouts in several checkpoint-corridor towers. There is also a project-level foreign ownership quota to check.
• Malaysian citizens working in Singapore: the threshold does not apply. The whole table is open, income is assessed in Singapore dollars, and the loan documentation differs from local income.

Which projects and which layouts actually clear RM1 million, and how much quota is left, varies project by project. The full rules are in what a foreigner can buy in Johor.

What is being built around the checkpoint

Buying across a border is not only about the price per square foot — it is also about what is outside the front door. This episode was filmed at the Coronation opening, with the Menteri Besar in attendance and CapitaLand signing on to jointly develop the largest shopping mall in Johor Bahru.

The Coronation opening: the Menteri Besar attends and CapitaLand signs on for the largest mall in Johor Bahru Watch on YouTube · RoomTalks →

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest condo in Singapore?

The lowest price transacted over the past 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026) was S$570,000, at The Hillford (398 sq ft, 60-year lease with about 47 years left) and at Le Regal (freehold). Of 11,993 condo resales, only 535 went for S$800,000 or less.

Is a private condo in Singapore really cheaper than an HDB flat?

At the bottom end, yes. Over the same period 5,548 resale flats sold for S$800,000 or more, 1,807 of them above S$1 million — all higher than the cheapest private homes. The difference is size and tenure: the typical unit in that cheapest tier is only 463 sq ft.

Can Singaporeans buy property in Johor Bahru, and is there a minimum price?

Yes. Johor sets a minimum purchase price of RM1,000,000 for foreign nationals (Johor Land and Mines Office), and there is a project-level foreign ownership quota on top of that. The full rules are in what a foreigner can buy in Johor.

What is S$570,000 in ringgit, and what does it buy in Johor Bahru?

At 1 SGD to 3.18 MYR (indicative market rate, 22 October 2026) it is about RM1.81 million. In the checkpoint corridor that budget falls inside the price range of all three projects above, with floor areas starting above a thousand square feet. Which layouts are actually available depends on current stock, and a foreign national still has to clear the RM1 million threshold.

Is property in Johor Bahru freehold or leasehold?

Both exist, and both are found among the high-rise projects in the checkpoint corridor; every project page states which. What the difference means for resale and for financing is in freehold versus leasehold.

Related

• Tier 1 — projects within walking distance of the checkpoint
• What a foreigner can buy in Johor
• Freehold versus leasehold

Sources

1. 535 of 11,993 condo resales at S$800,000 or less (about 4.5%, roughly 1 in 22, executive condominiums excluded); The Hillford S$570,000–680,000, 398 sq ft, 60-year lease from 2013, about an 11-minute walk from Beauty World MRT; Le Regal S$570,000–775,000, 366–689 sq ft, freehold; Prime Residence S$600,000, 398 sq ft; Airstream S$605,000–740,000, 334–495 sq ft, freehold; Parc Rosewood S$640,000–800,000, 431–581 sq ft, 99-year lease; typical size 463 sq ft; 42% freehold; average gain about 19% over roughly nine years (The Hillford about 29%) against 46% across all condo resales; 5,548 resale HDB flats at S$800,000 or more in the same period, 1,807 of them above S$1 million: Stacked Homes, 13 October 2026, drawing on Urban Redevelopment Authority transaction and rental records for September 2025 to August 2026.
2. Aethera Residences (RM996,200–RM4,288,000, 650–2,547 sq ft, 400 m on foot) and Arden Serviced Residence (RM1,078,000–RM2,476,500, 797–1,700 sq ft, 600 m on foot): the price range the developer declared to the housing authority on the advertising permit, per each project page on this site. CTC SkyOne Bukit Chagar (RM649,000–RM3,000,000 indicative, 452–1,270 sq ft, 300 m on foot): the developer has not published a formal price list, and this range is the indicative figure shown on that project page. Distances are measured walking distances.
3. Johor minimum purchase price of RM1,000,000 for foreign nationals: Johor Land and Mines Office, as set out in this site’s article on what a foreigner can buy in Johor.
4. Exchange rate of 1 SGD to 3.18 MYR: indicative market rate, 22 October 2026.

This page is general information and commentary. It is not investment advice and contains no return projections. The Singapore growth figures are that market’s historical record; they have no bearing on Johor Bahru and do not indicate the future performance of any project. Prices and available units are governed by the developer’s current price list. Last verified: 28 October 2026.