The right bus from your side of Singapore to your part of JB.
Taking the bus from Singapore to JB sounds simple until you’re at Queen Street Bus Terminal in Bugis, wondering if you should board the yellow bus or the green one. There are nine main cross-border routes, two checkpoints, one 24-hour service, and a few quirks (like tap-on-only and the ManjaLink card) worth knowing before you join the queue.
| Best For | Bus | Fare from SG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest | AC7 (Yishun → JB CIQ) | S$2.50 EZ-Link | Best for north Singapore |
| 24-Hour Service | Causeway Link CW2 | S$5 | Queen Street Bus Terminal → Larkin, runs all night |
| West SG via 2nd Link | CW7 | S$5 | Tuas Link MRT → JB CIQ 2nd Link |
| Going to JB Sentral | SBS 170 or CW1 | S$2.50–S$5 | Queen Street Bus Terminal or Kranji MRT |
| Going to AEON Bukit Indah | CW3 | S$5 | Jurong Town Hall → Perling Mall |
📚 Table of Contents
- Is There a Bus from Singapore to JB?
- Every Singapore-to-JB Bus, Compared
- Best Bus by Where You’re Starting in Singapore
- Best Bus by Where You’re Going in JB
- How Much Does a Bus to JB Cost?
- How to Take the Bus, Step by Step
- 24-Hour Buses and the 3:30 AM Hack
- Paying for Your Bus: ManjaLink, EZ-Link, Contactless
- What If You Forget to Tap Off?
- Pay Smarter Once You’re in JB
- FAQs
Is There a Bus from Singapore to JB?
Image Credits: businterchange.net
Yes, and there are more options than most first-timers realise. The cross-border buses fall into three buckets, all walk-up and pay-as-you-board.
- SBS Transit and SMRT public buses (green and red): the cheapest. Routes 170, 170X, 160, 950. EZ-Link or contactless tap.
- Causeway Link buses (yellow, with the smiley face): Singapore-Malaysia dedicated, flat S$5, mostly Woodlands, but two via Tuas. CW1, CW2, CW3, CW5, CW7.
- AC7: a private Ridewell Travel route from Yishun to JB CIQ. S$2.50, no transfer needed.
You don’t book in advance for any of these. Walk up, tap your card, board.
Every Singapore-to-JB Bus, Compared
The full lineup, with where it picks up, where it drops off, and what it costs.
| Bus | Operator | From (Singapore) | To (JB) | Checkpoint | Fare from SG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBS 170 | SBS Transit | Queen Street Terminal | Larkin Sentral | Woodlands | S$2.50 |
| SBS 170X | SBS Transit | Kranji MRT | JB Sentral | Woodlands | S$2.50 |
| SBS 160 | SBS Transit | Jurong Town Hall | JB Sentral / CIQ | Woodlands | S$2.50 |
| SMRT 950 | SMRT | Woodlands Temp Interchange | JB Sentral | Woodlands | S$2.50 |
| CW1 | Causeway Link | Kranji MRT | JB Sentral | Woodlands | S$5 |
| CW2 | Causeway Link | Queen Street Terminal | Larkin Sentral | Woodlands | S$5 (24h) |
| CW3 | Causeway Link | Jurong Town Hall | Perling Mall | Tuas (2nd Link) | S$5 |
| CW5 | Causeway Link | Newton Circus | Larkin / JB Sentral | Woodlands | S$5 |
| CW7 | Causeway Link | Tuas Link MRT | JB CIQ 2nd Link (loop) | Tuas (2nd Link) | S$5 |
| AC7 | Ridewell Travel | Yishun Bus Interchange | JB CIQ (Sultan Iskandar) | Woodlands | S$2.50 EZ-Link / S$3 cash |
Public bus fares are distance-based, so the S$2.50 figure is the typical end-to-end fare; shorter trips cost a little less.
A few quick notes on the differences:
- SBS and SMRT routes are cheaper, but they’re regular city buses doing a cross-border loop. You tap out at the SG checkpoint, clear immigration on foot, then re-board any bus on the same number on the JB side. Transfer within 45 minutes, and you don’t pay twice.
- Causeway Link buses run point-to-point with no through-fare transfer needed. Pay once on board, clear immigration with the bus, re-board the same bus (or the next one) on the other side.
- AC7 is the budget secret. Same flat-rate feel as a city bus, dedicated cross-border route, drops you right at JB CIQ. Yishun and Sembawang residents have been quietly gatekeeping it on TikTok for years.
Best Bus by Where You’re Starting in Singapore
The bus you should catch depends on where you’re starting from, not which one is “best” overall.
From the East (Changi Airport, Expo, Bugis)
If you’re east of the city, the move is CW2 or SBS 170 from Queen Street Bus Terminal in Bugis. Take the MRT to Bugis station, walk five minutes to the terminal on Queen Street, tap in. SBS 170 is half the price, CW2 runs 24 hours.
Coming from Changi Airport with a suitcase? CW2 is the cleaner ride, and you don’t have to lug it through a transfer on foot.
From the West (Tuas, Jurong)
Two strong options. CW3 from Jurong Town Hall runs to AEON Bukit Indah via the 2nd Link, best if you’re heading to the Bukit Indah shopping strip. CW7 from Tuas Link MRT is a Tuas-checkpoint-only loop, but the 2nd Link queues are often shorter than the Causeway, especially on weekends.
SBS 160 also leaves from Jurong Town Hall and lands at JB Sentral via the Causeway.
From the North (Woodlands, Yishun, Sembawang)
This is the cheapest corner of Singapore to be travelling from. AC7 from Yishun Bus Interchange at S$2.50 is the standout, and it stops at Sembawang, Marsiling, and Woodlands Ave 9 on its way to JB CIQ.
If you’re already in Woodlands, SMRT 950 from Woodlands Temporary Bus Interchange runs straight to JB Sentral. Or take CW1 from Kranji MRT, one stop south on the North-South Line.
From Central (Newton, Bugis)
CW5 leaves from Newton Circus and goes to JB via the Causeway, which is convenient if you’re around Orchard or Novena. From Bugis, default to CW2 or SBS 170 (see “From the East” above).
Best Bus by Where You’re Going in JB
Pick by your drop-off, not your pick-up, if your JB plan is tight.
- JB Sentral / City Square / KSL: SBS 170, 170X, 950, CW1, CW5. JB Sentral is the central hub, walk to City Square or grab a Grab from there. For what’s actually worth your time once you arrive, see our 27 things to do in JB guide.
- JB CIQ (Sultan Iskandar Building only, no JB Sentral walk): AC7. Drops at CIQ, walk straight into JB without the extra Sentral leg.
- AEON Bukit Indah / Mid Valley Southkey / Perling Mall: CW3. Stops at Perling Mall, then catch local J33 (2.80 MYR, ~S$0.85) to AEON Bukit Indah. For the Mid Valley side, our Mid Valley Southkey guide maps the food court and Project Smoked area.
- Johor Premium Outlets / Senai Airport: no direct cross-border city bus. Take any bus to JB Sentral, then a Grab or one of the private day-trip shuttles that run on weekends.
- Larkin Sentral: SBS 170 or CW2.
Going for the new SKS City Mall on the Causeway? See our SKS City Mall JBCC guide, easiest from JB Sentral by short Grab.
🇲🇾 Related Guide: Rather drive across instead of bus? Our car rental JB guide walks through the cross-border permit, insurance and pickup points.
How Much Does a Bus to JB Cost?
Cheapest to most expensive, all one-way from Singapore:
- S$2.50: AC7 (EZ-Link), SBS 170, SBS 170X, SBS 160, SMRT 950
- S$3: AC7 (cash)
- S$5: Every Causeway Link route (CW1, CW2, CW3, CW5, CW7)
Public buses charge distance-based fares, so trips shorter than the full route cost slightly less. Causeway Link is a flat S$5 across the board.
For context, Grab’s new cross-border taxi (legal since May 2026) starts from S$80 one-way, and the train from Woodlands to JB Sentral is S$5. Bus is the cheapest option by a wide margin if you’ve got the time.
How to Take the Bus from Singapore to JB, Step by Step
The flow is the same for all SBS and SMRT routes. Causeway Link is slightly different (you stay with the same bus).
For SBS or SMRT public buses (170, 170X, 160, 950):
- Tap in at the bus stop or on board.
EZ-Link, contactless Visa or Mastercard, Apple Pay, and Google Pay are all accepted.
- Alight at Woodlands Checkpoint.
The bus tells you it’s terminating; everyone gets off.
- Clear Singapore immigration on foot.
Have your passport and SG Arrival Card ready (Malaysians use the MDAC).
- Re-board any bus on the same route number from the SG-side dispatch bay after immigration.
Tap in again; the system charges nothing extra if you’re within 45 minutes of tapping out.
- Alight at JB Checkpoint (Sultan Iskandar / CIQ).
Clear Malaysian immigration on foot.
- Re-board the same bus one more time in the JB-side bay.
Final stop: JB Sentral or Larkin.
For Causeway Link buses (CW1, CW2, CW3, CW5, CW7):
- Step 1: Pay on board with ManjaLink, a contactless card, or QR. No cash on cross-border CW buses since June 2022.
- Step 2: Stay on the bus through Singapore immigration. You’ll disembark, clear immigration on foot, then re-board the same bus (driver waits, but don’t dawdle).
- Step 3: Re-board, ride across, clear JB immigration on foot, and re-board one final time. Bus drops at JB Sentral or Larkin, depending on the route.
Total journey time (clean conditions): 45–60 minutes.
Weekend peaks (Friday 6–10 pm, Saturday 9 am–noon): add 1–3 hours of queue time on the Causeway side.
24-Hour Buses and the 3:30 AM Hack
Only one bus runs 24 hours: Causeway Link CW2 (Queen Street ↔ Larkin Sentral via Causeway). Buses depart every 15–20 minutes during the day and every 45 minutes between 11 pm and 5 am.
One popular hack worth knowing: the 3:30 AM Causeway crossing to beat weekend holiday traffic. School holidays, long weekends, and race weekends can see the Causeway sit at three-hour jams from Friday evening straight through Sunday night.
Crossing on CW2 between 3 and 4 AM is the off-peak window regulars swear by, and you can grab kaya toast at a JB breakfast spot that’s already open by the time you clear immigration.
Paying for Your Bus: ManjaLink, EZ-Link, Contactless
Three cashless options, one per operator type.
SBS and SMRT public buses:
- EZ-Link card
- Contactless Visa, Mastercard, AMEX
- Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay
Same SimplyGo system as any city bus in Singapore. Tap on, tap off (or the system charges max fare; more on that below).
Causeway Link buses:
- ManjaLink card (recommended for regulars)
- Contactless Visa or Mastercard
- QR via Manja app
Cash hasn’t worked on Causeway Link cross-border buses since June 2022. The ManjaLink card costs 30.80 MYR (~S$9.30) total: 10.80 MYR (~S$3.30) for the card and 20 MYR (~S$6.10) of stored value. It saves you up to 16% off cash fares with a monthly rebate of up to 3%. Buy one at the Queen Street Bus Terminal counter or any Causeway Link kiosk in JB.
A note on the Queen Street Bus Terminal counter: EZ-Link and NETS payment at the counter is unavailable from 11:30 PM to 6:30 AM for CW2, so use ManjaLink or your contactless card overnight.
What Happens If You Forget to Tap Off?
The system charges you the maximum end-to-end fare for the route, which is higher than the S$2.50 you’d normally pay if you tap on and off correctly. The exact figure varies by route.
You have 14 days to dispute it through the SimplyGo app or website. File a claim, match the trip, submit a refund request, and the difference returns to your card or contactless payment.
Causeway Link is flat-rate, so this only applies to SBS and SMRT routes.
Pay Smarter Once You’re in JB
Once you’re across, paying in Malaysia in ringgit beats paying in Singapore dollars at marked-up checkpoint rates.
1. Tap your YouTrip card. YouTrip runs on Mastercard contactless, so anywhere with a contactless terminal (malls, restaurants, the new cafés in Bukit Indah), just tap and you spend at the Mastercard wholesale rate with 0% foreign transaction fees.
Set up the Malaysian Ringgit wallet in-app and you can lock in the rate before you cross.
2. Cash, withdrawn from a Malaysian ATM. Most JB hawker stalls, J33 local buses, and small-town spots are cash-only. Withdraw ringgit from any Maybank or CIMB ATM on the JB side. First S$400 of overseas ATM withdrawals each calendar month is free with YouTrip, then 2% on the amount after that (and resets on the 1st).
Skip the Mustafa or Arcade money-changer queue. Full breakdown in our Malaysia ATM withdrawal guide.
3. TNG eWallet. TNG is a Malaysian e-wallet. You can top up from your YouTrip card if you really need to, but heads up: TNG charges a foreign-card convenience fee of up to 2.6% on top-ups using non-Malaysian cards.
Full setup walkthrough in our Touch ‘n Go eWallet guide for Singaporeans.
Locking in the right payment method on each side of the border saves you more than the bus fare itself. First time crossing? Our JB food guide and the SGD to MYR rate explainer are the next two tabs to keep open.
For deeper context on which card holds up best overseas, our best travel card Singapore comparison covers the trade-offs.
FAQs
SBS Transit runs three cross-border buses to JB: SBS 170 from Queen Street Bus Terminal to Larkin Sentral, SBS 170X from Kranji MRT to JB Sentral, and SBS 160 from Jurong Town Hall to JB CIQ/Sentral. SMRT runs the 950 from Woodlands to JB Sentral. All four charge around S$2.50 one-way from Singapore with EZ-Link or contactless tap.
In clean conditions, the bus takes 45 to 60 minutes door to door, including both immigration checkpoints. On Friday evenings, Saturday mornings, school holidays and long weekends, the Causeway can add 1 to 3 hours of queue time. The 2nd Link (Tuas) is usually faster on peak weekends; an early-morning crossing (3 to 5 am) skips the worst.
AC7 at S$2.50 with EZ-Link from Yishun Bus Interchange to JB CIQ. SBS 170, 170X, 160 and SMRT 950 also charge S$2.50 from their respective Singapore terminals. Causeway Link buses are flat S$5. So the cheapest option depends on where you’re starting, but in absolute terms, the public buses are half the price of Causeway Link.
For JB itself, no. The express coach networks (Five Star, Transtar, KKKL) mostly serve longer routes to Kuala Lumpur, Malacca and Penang. For day-trippers heading to JB, the standard cross-border buses are what’s available. If you want comfort over cost, the KTM train from Woodlands to JB Sentral is the upgrade pick at S$5 one-way.
No direct cross-border bus from Changi Airport. The closest is MRT to Bugis, then CW2 or SBS 170 from Queen Street Bus Terminal: about 35 minutes on the MRT plus 45 to 60 minutes on the bus. If you’re flying in with luggage and want one-shot transport, look at private cross-border car services instead of public buses.
No. Every public and Causeway Link cross-border bus is walk-up and tap-to-board. Pre-booking only applies to express coaches running to KL, Malacca, or Penang.
The Causeway’s Still the Cheapest Border Crossing in Southeast Asia, Assuming You Pick the Right Bus.
Not a YouTrooper yet? Singapore’s go-to multi-currency wallet helps you save with great FX rates and zero fees. Skip the money changer and get a free YouTrip card + S$5 YouTrip credits with code YTBLOG5.
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Happy travels!
