Comparing price per square foot fairly in Johor Bahru (2026): a buyer’s method

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By Jason Lim, REN 84424 · IQI Realty · Checked on 13 November 2026

This guide is for buyers from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, India, China and elsewhere who compare Johor Bahru homes by price per square foot (psf). The short answer: psf is a useful first filter, but only when every figure divides a price by the same kind of area. Compare condos on the same floor-area basis, ideally the title or SPA figure, and landed homes on both built-up and land area. Use recorded sales rather than asking prices, and adjust for layout, size, age, tenure and floor before you decide something is good value.

Why psf comparisons go wrong

• Different areas. One listing quotes the brochure built-up figure, another the title area, a third the land area of a house.
• Different products. A studio, a three-bedroom unit and a terrace house are priced differently per foot even on the same road.
• Asking vs paid. Listings show hopes; recorded sales show deals.
• Hidden extras. Car park bays, furniture and renovation are folded into the price but not the area.

Step 1: Divide by the same kind of area

Area figure	What it measures	Where you find it	Use it to compare
Land area	The plot of a landed home	Land title, Schedule G SPA	Landed homes, alongside built-up psf
Built-up area	Floor space of the building on all floors	Brochures, listings, valuation reports	Landed and strata, if every unit uses it
Strata parcel area	The surveyed area of one strata unit	Strata plan and title, Schedule H SPA	Condos and serviced residences: the firmest figure
Accessory parcel	A space tied to the unit, such as a car park bay	Accessory parcel plan, strata title	Leave out of the unit’s psf; note it separately

Titles and SPA forms state areas in square metres. Multiply by 10.764 to get square feet (1 m² is about 10.764 sq ft, based on the international foot of exactly 0.3048 m).

How sizes are measured: brochure, SPA and title

There is no single definition of a brochure’s built-up figure for homes. Some include the balcony, planter boxes, air-conditioner ledges and yard; some are measured over the outside of the walls. Some brochures label one figure “gross” and another as the internal area inside the walls. Neither is wrong, but they are not interchangeable, so ask which one you are being given.

• New strata units. The statutory Schedule H SPA states the parcel area from the approved plans. Under the current Schedule H SPA (amended in 2015), the buyer gets a price adjustment if the strata title area is more than 2% smaller than the building plan area. Check your own SPA’s clause with your lawyer.
• Subsale units. The strata title shows the surveyed figure. Ask the seller for the title or SPA area rather than relying on a listing.
• Landed subsales. A rear extension may be in the listing’s built-up figure without being on the approved plan; see illegal extensions.

Example (made-up figures)	Area used	Price per sq ft
Condo at RM650,000	Brochure figure including balcony and ledges: 1,000 sq ft	RM650
Same condo	Title parcel area: 930 sq ft	About RM699

Condo vs landed: different yardsticks

Comparing a condo’s psf with a terrace house’s psf tells you little. A condo price covers a share of common property and facilities; a landed price covers land you own outright. Compare condos with condos, and landed homes with similar landed homes.

Landed: work out both figures

Example (made-up figures)	Price	psf on built-up	psf on land
Intermediate terrace: 20 x 70 ft lot (1,400 sq ft), 1,900 sq ft built-up	RM760,000	RM400	About RM543
Corner terrace: 2,800 sq ft of land, 2,000 sq ft built-up	RM950,000	RM475	About RM339

The corner looks expensive on built-up psf and good value on land psf, because most of its premium is extra land. Whether that land is worth it to you, for parking, a garden or a future extension with approval, is the real question. My guide to corner lot vs intermediate terrace goes further, and landed home running costs covers what the extra land costs to keep.

Condos: add the running costs

Under the Strata Management Act 2013, service charges and sinking fund contributions follow your share units, which come from the parcel area with weightings, not from the brochure figure. Accessory parcels inside the building count at half weight in the formula set out in a Penang Land and Mines Office guideline. Two units at the same psf can cost different amounts to run, so check the maintenance fee per month alongside psf; see maintenance fees and sinking funds.

Layout efficiency: what you can actually use

Two units with the same area can feel very different. Long corridors, angled walls, columns inside rooms, bay windows and large ledges take space you pay for but cannot furnish well.

Example (made-up figures)	Unit X	Unit Y
Price	RM650,000	RM640,000
Quoted area	1,000 sq ft	950 sq ft
Balcony, ledges and planter boxes within it	120 sq ft	40 sq ft
psf on quoted area	RM650	About RM674
Price per sq ft of indoor space	About RM739	About RM703

At a viewing, bring the SPA or title floor plan, measure the main rooms with a laser measure and note which spaces are outdoors. My guides to floor plan red flags and questions to ask at a subsale viewing help here.

Recorded prices vs asking prices

A psf worked out from listings tells you what sellers hope for. To see what buyers paid, use official data:

• NAPIC open transaction data. The National Property Information Centre, part of JPPH (the government valuation department), publishes transaction data for residential, commercial and industrial property on its portal.
• JPPH e-Data. More detailed paid data, open to the public since 1 February 2026 (The Edge Malaysia, January 2026). A month’s transactions become available from the 15th of the following month, so the newest deals are missing.
• Check the area field. For each record, confirm whether the size shown is land area or floor area before dividing.
• Drop odd records. Transfers between family members, auctions and forced sales are not open-market prices. JPPH has said related-party sales may be set aside when it assesses market value for stamp duty (The Sun, 2023).

Use the median, not the average. Made-up example: five recorded sales of similar units at RM480, RM495, RM510, RM520 and RM640 psf. The average is RM529, pulled up by one unusual sale; the median, the middle figure, is RM510 and better describes the market. My guide to checking transaction prices before an offer explains the search.

What psf does not tell you

Valuers using the comparison method adjust recorded sales for many factors. A University of Malaya survey of Malaysian valuers ranked tenure, transaction date, location and physical features among the most important (Journal of Design and Built Environment, 2010). For buyers, the usual ones are:

Factor	How it tends to affect psf
Unit size	Smaller units usually show a higher psf than larger ones in the same building
Floor and facing	Views, noise and afternoon sun change appeal; see high vs low floor
Age and condition	Older wiring, plumbing and kitchens need budget
Tenure	Freehold and long leases versus short remaining leases; see freehold vs leasehold
Title type	Residential vs commercial title, strata title issued or not; see buying without an individual strata title
Car parks and extras	Extra bays, furniture and renovation are in the price but not the area
Who can buy	Foreigners can buy Johor homes only from RM1 million, with only limited exceptions (for example, some serviced apartments sold by developers with state approval); no area is exempt as a whole (New Straits Times, April 2026). So the buyer pool differs by price band

Comparing a subsale with a new launch on psf alone is also risky, because new-launch prices come with their own payment terms and a waiting period; see subsale vs new launch. For a formal figure, a registered valuer can prepare an independent valuation. None of this is financial advice.

Where to buy if this matters to you

• Mount Austin: condos, terraces and semi-Ds side by side, so both yardsticks come up.
• JB Sentral and Bukit Chagar: many high-rises, including serviced residences on commercial titles.
• Iskandar Puteri: newer projects where brochure, SPA and title figures can all be compared.
• Bukit Indah and Gelang Patah: landed estates where land psf matters.
• Permas Jaya and Senibong: older and newer condos close together.

Compare them on my JB property map.

More Johor living guides: Built-up vs land area · Making an offer on a subsale · Condo vs landed vs SOHO · When the bank valuation is lower · Studio or one-bedroom condo

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate price per square foot for a property?

Divide the price by the area in square feet. If the area is in square metres, as on titles and SPAs, multiply it by 10.764 first. Use the same kind of area for every property you compare.

Should I compare landed homes on built-up or land area?

Both. Built-up psf shows what you pay for floor space; land psf shows what you pay for the plot. Corner lots often look costly on built-up psf and better value on land psf, because their premium is mostly extra land.

Why does the same condo show different sizes?

Brochures, SPAs, titles and listings measure differently. A brochure figure may include balconies and ledges, while the strata title shows the surveyed parcel area, and car park bays may be separate accessory parcels. Ask for the title or SPA area.

Where can I find recorded psf for Johor Bahru homes?

NAPIC, part of JPPH, publishes open transaction data, and JPPH’s paid e-Data has been open to the public since 1 February 2026. Check whether each record’s area is land or floor area, and use the median of similar sales.

Is a lower psf always better value?

No. A lower psf can come from a bigger area figure, a larger unit, an awkward layout, an older building or a shorter lease. Put units on the same basis and adjust for these before deciding.

Can I compare a condo’s psf with a terrace house’s psf?

Not usefully. A condo price includes a share of common facilities and comes with service charges, while a landed price includes land you own. Compare condos with similar condos and landed homes with similar landed homes.

Want a fair comparison before you offer?

Send me the units you are looking at, with their asking prices. I will get the title or SPA areas, work out psf on the same basis, pull recorded sales nearby and show you how they compare. You can also book an appointment for viewings, or a Zoom consultation if you are abroad.

Sources: NAPIC (JPPH), Data Transaksi Terbuka (open transaction data), page updated 7 November 2026; NAPIC (JPPH), e-Data guide (15th-of-the-month release rule), checked November 2026; The Edge Malaysia, “Napic’s e-data to be available to public starting Feb 1”, 29 January 2026; The Sun, “JPPH assessment of market value done according to Stamp Act 1949”, 2023; Anuar Alias and Noor Hana Asyikin Nor Hanapi, “Comparison method: preference of adjustment techniques among valuers”, Journal of Design and Built Environment, Universiti Malaya, 2010; Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Regulations 1989, Schedule H SPA form (2002 text published by the National House Buyers Association; the strata area tolerance was reduced to 2% by the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 2015), checked November 2026; Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757), charges and sinking fund provisions, Laws of Malaysia (Attorney General’s Chambers), checked November 2026; Penang Land and Mines Office, Share Units Formula Guideline, checked November 2026; NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement, 2026 edition; New Straits Times, “Foreigners hit Johor property resale wall”, 20 April 2026

Jason Lim, REN 84424, IQI Realty Sdn. Bhd. E (1) 1584/6. General information checked on 13 November 2026, not a valuation and not legal or financial advice. All worked examples use made-up round figures to show the method, not market prices. Check areas against the SPA and title with your lawyer, and ask a registered valuer for a formal opinion of value.