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SINGAPORE: The soaring condominium rent in Singapore forced a family to move to Johor Bahru where they enjoy about 80% of savings on rental for three times more space.<\/span><\/p>\n This is the story of Michelle Hon who shared on her Instagram, @thechillmom, that they left the little red dot after their rent nearly doubled. She said this happened just as her son was about to enter primary school.<\/span><\/p>\n She said that while \u201cSingapore is incredible\u2026it\u2019s also a pressure cooker\u201d and they had to decide when reality hit.<\/span><\/p>\n With the currency exchange still high, it is clear that the Singapore dollar stretches further across the Causeway, but for the Singaporean mom and entrepreneur who moved with her whole family to Johor Bahru, the rent difference was still hard to wrap her head around.<\/span><\/p>\n Their rent in Singapore had been S$4,500 for a 2,000 sq ft condo. When their landlord raised it to nearly double \u2014 a whopping S$8,000 a month, that was their \u201cenough\u201d moment, the moment they told themselves \u201cWhat if we just move?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Today, they live in a three-story, 6,000 sq ft semi-detached house in Johor Bahru, with a garden, paying just around RM5,000 (S$1,600) a month. That\u2019s three times more space while saving roughly 80% on rent.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe numbers still make me do a double-take,\u201d Ms Hon wrote in her business website.<\/span><\/p>\n Part of what made the move possible was her work, as she runs most of her business online, giving her the flexibility to live where it makes the most sense financially without much disruption in her career.<\/span><\/p>\n Last year, The Independent Singapore<\/em> reported on Singaporeans who had the privilege of working from home and took advantage of <\/span>earning in SGD while spending in Malaysian ringgit<\/u><\/span><\/a>, saving up to 50% on their cost of living.<\/span><\/p>\n A Singaporean commended Ms Hon for the \u201csmart move\u201d saying \u201c<\/span>If only I work from home, I would love to do that. We go over to JB often every month. It is safe despite what some say.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Meanwhile another expected that with the <\/span>Johor Bahru\u2013Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link set to begin passenger service by the end of the year<\/u><\/span><\/a>, more people will move there. \u201cJB has changed so much in the past decade that it is attracting a lot of young people to spend their weekends there,\u201d he said. <\/span>\/<\/span>TISG<\/u><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Read also: <\/span>\u2018Gen Z and beyond are well and truly done for\u2019: Man shares how homeownership is becoming out of reach for young Australians<\/u><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n