Princess Cove Phase 3 JB Review: From RM 430,000

Quick answer: who is Princess Cove Phase 3 for?

Phase 3 is for a buyer who wants into the Princess Cove township beside the Causeway at a lower ticket than the completed Phase 2, and who is happy to wait for keys, with completion expected in 2027. Its range is unusually wide, from a 313 sq ft studio for a weekday base to penthouses of almost 4,000 sq ft, so the right unit depends on who you are. The two things to settle before booking are parking, because studios have none, and density, because 4,385 homes share 11.44 acres. For the latest price list and available units, WhatsApp +60 17-279 8932.

My view

In one line: Phase 3 sells many kinds of home under one name, from a 313 sq ft studio to a 3,979 sq ft penthouse; the RM 430,000 starting price is the lowest in the comparison below, but it buys a studio with no car park, and completion is not expected until 2027.

Living there: Johor Bahru Sentral is about 700 m away in a straight line, the future RTS Link station at Bukit Chagar about 1.1 km, the project lists a 650 m sheltered link bridge to the CIQ, and a Jaya Grocer is about 100 m away. But that many homes share the site, in five blocks of 30 to 56 storeys with 8 to 17 units a floor and four lifts per core, so mornings may mean a wait for the lift. Schools are the weak point: the nearest mainstream secondary school in the table, Foon Yew, is about 1.3 km away.

Who it suits, who it doesn't: It suits single buyers who walk across the border, and I'd suggest the 558 to 595 sq ft one-bedroom over the studio; couples can choose among six two-bedroom types, all with 2 bathrooms and 820 to 894 sq ft; families can look at the 1,275 sq ft D2 dual-key unit; and large households at the four-bedroom or penthouse units. It does not suit buyers who want a small unit with a car park, anyone who wants a low-density building, or anyone who needs to move in before completion.

How long to hold: This is off-plan, so you wait for completion under your contract. If you plan to live here long term, I'd suggest starting from a one-bedroom: the studio suits a weekday base, not a long-term home. If you cannot wait, finished Phase 2 next door lets you move in now, but its listed range of about RM 1,400 to 2,300 per sq ft is above Phase 3's about RM 806 to 1,350.

Check for yourself at the viewing: which block and floor you are buying, as the 56-storey C3 and the 30-storey C1 live very differently; whether your unit has an allocated car park and whether it is tandem; whether the RM 0.30 or 0.40 fee rate applies to your unit, which for the 877 sq ft two-bedroom C2 means about RM 289 to 386 a month including the sinking fund; the completion date in your own contract; and which units face the strait. Foreign buyers should first check the unit against Johor's minimum price for foreigners, as smaller layouts may fall short.

• Suits: cross-border workers after a compact, freehold base near the CIQ; buyers who want into the Princess Cove township below the Phase 2 price; large households looking at the four-bedroom or penthouse units.
• Think twice if: you need a car park with a small unit; you want a low-density building; you need to move in before 2027.

Project facts (checked, updated October 2026)

Who is the developer?

Phase 3 is developed by R&F Development Sdn Bhd, which built the completed Phase 2 a short distance away and the wider Princess Cove township, with its mall, marina, five-star hotel, Grade A offices and opera house. For a first-time buyer in JB, that matters in one practical way: the earlier phase is finished and can be visited, so you can see the developer's finishing, lift lobbies and upkeep in a completed tower before buying into this one. My Princess Cove Phase 2 review covers that building.

What is near Princess Cove Phase 3?

All distances below are in a straight line; the route on foot or by car will be longer.

The project also lists R&F Mall and R&F Marina Place within the development, The ZON Duty Free, Repton International School, Seri Omega International School and Stellar Playschool, plus Sultanah Aminah Hospital, Gleneagles Hospital Medini Johor and Columbia Asia Hospital.

What the map means day to day. If you cross the border on foot, the 650 m sheltered link bridge to the CIQ that the project lists is the feature that counts, because it takes the weather out of the trip. Groceries are close, at about 100 m to Jaya Grocer. Schools are the weak spot for a young family: the nearest mainstream secondary in this list, Foon Yew, is about 1.3 km away, and most international schools named are a drive.

Which part of Phase 3 suits you?

Phase 3's layouts fall into five groups:

There are also shop lots of 552 to 2,101 sq ft, which are outside the scope of this review.

What I would pick. The studio is the headline price, but at the smallest size in the building and with no car park, it only works for one person whose routine is on foot. The one-bedroom units, at about 558 to 595 sq ft, are the more liveable small home, and are the ones I would steer a single buyer towards. For couples, the six two-bedroom types are all two-bathroom and sit within 820 to 894 sq ft, so the choice comes down to block, floor and facing rather than layout; ask which ones face the Strait. For a family, the D2 dual key is the most flexible unit in the building, with a third bathroom and a separate entrance for a second household. And if you are looking at the four-bedroom E, note that the second car park is tandem, so two cars will sometimes need shuffling.

What does it cost to hold each month?

The fee is RM 0.30 to 0.40 per sq ft a month, depending on the unit, plus 10% of the fee for the sinking fund. The table uses both ends of that range:

Ask which rate applies to your unit; it makes a real difference on the larger homes. Phase 2's published rate is RM 0.42 psf plus the 10% sinking fund, so even at the top of its range Phase 3 is a little cheaper to hold per square foot. Quit rent, assessment tax and utilities are extra. For how the sinking fund works, see my guide to the maintenance fee and sinking fund.

Price per square foot against its neighbours

"At entry" is the starting price divided by the smallest unit, a rough guide only. GEN RISE is about 210 m away in a straight line, the Causewayz Square towers about 270 m and Gen Sphere about 320 m. All are freehold.

How I read it. Phase 3 has the lowest starting price of the six and the earliest expected completion of the off-plan projects. Its listed range per square foot starts well below the entry figure of its neighbours, though the top of the range overlaps them. The catch is that the low starting price belongs to the studio without parking; once you compare like with like, say a two-bedroom of about 850 sq ft, ask for the actual price of each and do the sum per square foot yourself.

Buying off-plan: what to check

Because Phase 3 is under construction, you pay in stages under the sale and purchase agreement as the building goes up. Before booking, I would check four things. First, the block and its storey count, since C3 at 56 storeys and C1 at 30 storeys are very different places to live. Second, whether your unit has a car park allocated, and whether it is tandem. Third, the exact maintenance rate for your unit within the published range. Fourth, the completion date in your own agreement, because that is the one that binds the developer. My guide to the sale and purchase agreement explains the payment stages, and the loan agreement itself carries stamp duty of 0.5% of your loan.

For a foreign buyer, approval from the state authority is needed, and Johor sets its own minimum price for foreign purchases. Check the current figure against your chosen unit before you book; it may rule out the smaller layouts. See my guide to foreign-buyer minimum prices by state.

Facilities

Phase 3 shares the township amenities: R&F Mall and R&F Marina Place within the development, the waterfront and the opera house. Ask for the Phase 3 facilities plan for the full list of the residents' facility levels, which my data does not yet set out in detail.

Pros and cons (my view)

How to view Princess Cove Phase 3

WhatsApp Shyan Yee (REN 46305, IQI Realty) at +60 17-279 8932 for the price list by block, floor plans and a viewing. Full specifications are on the Princess Cove Phase 3 project page.