Bukit Chagar Neighbourhood Guide: Living Next to the RTS

Bukit Chagar, Johor Bahru, is the small hillside pocket of the city centre that is about to become the busiest doorstep in southern Malaysia. It is home to the Bukit Chagar RTS Link station, sits a short walk from JB Sentral and the CIQ, and borders the old town and the main city malls. This neighbourhood guide explains what living here is actually like, and why Twin Tower Residence, a completed freehold serviced residence beside the station, is one of the area’s most practical addresses.

Where exactly is Bukit Chagar?

Bukit Chagar is part of the Johor Bahru city centre, just north of the Causeway approach. The RTS station’s address is listed as Jalan Tun Abdul Razak, Bukit Chagar, 80300 Johor Bahru, and the station takes its name from the neighbourhood that lies just to its south. Around it you will find Kim Teng Park, a quiet residential pocket, and roads such as Jalan Tengku Azizah, where Twin Tower Residence stands.

What makes the location special is the cluster of transport and services inside a small radius. In one direction is the cross-border rail; in another, JB Sentral and the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar CIQ; and beyond that the city’s established shopping streets along Jalan Wong Ah Fook.

What is the RTS Link and why does it matter here?

The Johor Bahru–Singapore RTS Link is a roughly 4 km shuttle line between Bukit Chagar and Woodlands North, with a journey time of about five minutes and capacity of up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction. Customs and immigration are co-located, so passengers clear both countries once, at the departure station. On 2 October 2026, the two governments announced that passenger service is now expected to begin in February 2027, after final testing and independent safety certification.

For a neighbourhood, a station like this changes everything from tenant demand to street life. Residents who work in Singapore get a predictable commute; visitors coming the other way arrive straight into Bukit Chagar. Our RTS fares, hours and immigration guide covers the details still pending.

How is the area changing around the station?

Several public works are reshaping the streets around Bukit Chagar as the RTS approaches:

• KTM link bridge: In August 2026, Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced an RM60 million pedestrian bridge between Bukit Chagar station and KTM’s JB station, with construction expected to take about 12 months.
• Pedestrian overhead bridges: Johor plans several bridges around the station, most by the end of 2026 and the remainder in 2027.
• Jalan Jim Quee: From 2027 the road beside the CIQ complex is planned to be reserved for buses, taxis and officials, with e-hailing relocated to Jalan Tun Razak.
• More buses: 230 new BAS.MY stage buses were announced to cut waiting times, and walkways are being built along Jalan Jim Quee to the RTS station.

The direction is clear: the area is being organised around walking and public transport, which suits people who live right next to the station.

What is daily life like in Bukit Chagar?

Food

The streets around the station mix old-school Johor eateries with newer cafés. Travel guides covering the station area highlight morning roti canai stalls, roadside burger stands that run late into the night, Middle Eastern restaurants and small cafés tucked into Kim Teng Park. Opening days and hours change, so check before you go. A little further, JB’s old town offers heritage streets and classic hawker food — see our guide to old town JB near Twin Tower.

Shopping

Johor Bahru City Square, opened in 1999 on Jalan Wong Ah Fook, has been linked by a pedestrian bridge to JB Sentral and the Sultan Iskandar Building since 2008. KOMTAR JBCC, rebuilt and reopened in 2014, is next door. For full-size supermarkets and bigger malls, R&F Mall and KSL City Mall are a short drive away. Our malls guide compares them.

Things to do

Within easy reach of the station are attractions such as the Skyscape observation deck on the 34th floor of Menara JLand and the Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple, famous for its mosaic glass interior. Weekend options are plentiful without needing a car.

Healthcare

Hospital Sultanah Aminah, founded in 1882 and the state’s main referral hospital, is a short drive away, as is KPJ Johor Specialist Hospital. See our hospitals guide for more.

Who lives in Bukit Chagar?

The area attracts a broad mix of residents, each with different priorities:

• Singapore commuters who want the shortest possible door-to-gate walk.
• Professionals working in the JB city centre, around JB Sentral, the CIQ and the Ibrahim International Business District.
• Retirees and returning Malaysians who want city convenience — malls, clinics and trains — without driving.
• Investors who prefer completed, rentable property close to the RTS, rather than waiting for construction.

Our article on who rents at Twin Tower looks at tenant types in more detail.

Why does Twin Tower Residence stand out in Bukit Chagar?

Twin Tower Residence (Pangsapuri Duo) was developed by Parasky Projects Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Johor Bahru-based SKS Group, which also built TriTower Residence beside JB Sentral. Its strengths for this neighbourhood are simple:

• Beside the RTS station — among the closest completed homes to the JB terminus.
• Freehold tenure.
• Completed in 2023 — 41 storeys and 458 units, ready to occupy or rent.
• Right-sized layouts: Studio 599 sq ft, 2 Bedroom 882 sq ft, 2+1 Bedroom 1,054 sq ft and 3 Bedroom 1,216 sq ft.
• Resort-style facilities listed on portals, including a swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, gym, jogging track, BBQ area, playground and 24-hour security.

What do homes cost in Bukit Chagar? A quick worked example

Using public portal asking figures from October–November 2026 (indicative only), a 2-bedroom 882 sq ft unit at Twin Tower was typically listed for RM1.00m–1.15m, while whole-unit rents for the same layout were mostly RM3,000–3,500 a month.

• Annual rent at RM3,000: 3,000 × 12 = RM36,000
• Indicative gross yield at RM1.00m: 36,000 ÷ 1,000,000 = 3.6%
• Annual rent at RM3,500: 3,500 × 12 = RM42,000; ÷ RM1.15m ≈ 3.7%

These are asking figures, not transacted prices, and they exclude costs such as maintenance fees and furnishing. Indicative gross yields across unit types sit around 3.5%–4.5%. For more, see the market section.

Which Bukit Chagar lifestyle fits you? Three scenarios

Scenario 1: You work in northern Singapore

From Woodlands North you can connect to the Thomson-East Coast MRT Line. If you cross every working day, living beside Bukit Chagar station removes the long walk to the Causeway checkpoint and the second immigration queue. A studio or 2-bedroom unit is usually enough for one or two people.

Scenario 2: You work in JB city centre and visit Singapore at weekends

JB Sentral, the CIQ area and city-centre offices are walkable, so a car becomes optional. The RTS turns a weekend family visit or shopping trip in Singapore into a short, simple outing.

Scenario 3: You are retiring or semi-retiring

Malls, supermarkets, clinics and trains are close, and major hospitals are a short drive. If family will visit often, a 2+1 or 3-bedroom layout gives a spare room without moving away from the centre.

Your first week in Bukit Chagar: a practical checklist

1. Walk the route from your lobby to the RTS station, JB Sentral and the CIQ, and note covered walkways.
2. Find your nearest supermarket, pharmacy and clinic.
3. Check the official RTS timetable and payment methods once announced.
4. Register with your building management for access cards and parking, if needed.
5. Try a weekday morning and a weekend evening to understand traffic and footfall.

Conclusion

Bukit Chagar is a compact neighbourhood with an outsized role: it is where the RTS Link meets Johor Bahru. Trains, the CIQ, malls, food and hospitals are all close, and public works are making the area friendlier to walk. If you want to live or invest right at the heart of it, WhatsApp Darren for the latest Twin Tower Residence units and floor plans, or browse our current listings.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Bukit Chagar RTS station
• Land Transport Guru: RTS Link overview
• LTA & MOT Malaysia joint release: RTS Link targeted for February 2027 (2 Oct 2026)
• TheSmartLocal: Things to do near Bukit Chagar RTS station
• Wikipedia: Johor Bahru City Square (shopping mall)
• The Star: RM60mil bridge to be built (19 Aug 2026)
• The Star: JB road will close to private vehicles (19 Sep 2026)
• The Star: RTS delayed to Feb 2027; BAS.MY and walkway plans (8 Oct 2026)
• Wikipedia: Sultanah Aminah Hospital