Living Next to KSL City Mall: What Life at The Asteriaz Looks Like

If you are searching for a condo near KSL City, you are probably less interested in floor plans and more interested in a simple question: what will my days actually look like? This guide answers that for The Asteriaz @ Kebun Teh, EXSIM’s first Johor project, which sits on Jalan Abad off Jalan Kebun Teh in Larkin, 80350 Johor Bahru. We look at how close the tower really is to KSL City Mall, what the mall offers for daily needs, how a typical week might run for a Singapore commuter, a young family and a weekend-focused owner, and why living beside an established mall hub tends to support both own-stay comfort and rental appeal. For the full project fact sheet, see our complete guide to The Asteriaz @ Kebun Teh.

How close is The Asteriaz to KSL City Mall?

The Asteriaz is about 630–780 m from KSL City Mall in a straight line and about 2.2 km by road, which the project microsite describes as roughly a 4-minute drive. It is one of the closest new-launch towers to the mall, while sitting on a quieter road behind the main commercial strip.

The two numbers matter for different reasons. The straight-line figure shows how compact the neighbourhood is: KSL City, Holiday Plaza and Plaza Pelangi all sit within the same pocket of Taman Abad, Kebun Teh and Century Garden. The road distance shows how you will usually get there with a car, because Johor Bahru’s one-way loops and main roads mean the driving route is longer than the map line. Some residents will walk the shorter routes, but in practice most people in this part of JB drive or take a short e-hailing ride, especially with groceries.

Distances are approximate and drawn from the project microsite and property portal listings; drive times vary with traffic.

What does KSL City Mall offer residents day to day?

KSL City Mall covers most weekly needs in one building: a supermarket, a cinema, food courts, restaurants, banks, pharmacies and fashion. For a resident of a condo near KSL City, that means one short trip replaces several errands across town.

KSL City opened in December 2010 and has seven floors, with the KSL Resort Hotel’s twin towers and a residential component built above the retail podium. According to a 2024 mall guide, it has a Lotus’s supermarket on the lower ground floor and a GSC cinema on Level 2, and it trades from about 10 am to 10 pm daily, with entertainment outlets often running later. The hotel above the mall includes a themed water park, which is a handy weekend outing for families.

The mall has long been a favourite with Singapore day-trippers, so much so that locals sometimes call it the “Singaporean canteen”. That has two practical effects for Asteriaz residents. First, the tenant mix is broad and keeps refreshing, with plenty of local food, bakeries, bubble tea, roast meat stalls and kopitiam-style outlets. Second, the area is busier on weekends and public holidays, so residents tend to do their big shopping on weekday evenings when the car parks are quieter.

Everyday uses residents will rely on

• Groceries: fresh food, household supplies and imported goods at the supermarket on the lower ground floor.
• Quick meals: food court and restaurant options for nights when nobody wants to cook.
• Services: banks, money changers, pharmacies, phone shops and optical stores for the errands that usually take a whole Saturday.
• Entertainment: the cinema on Level 2 and the hotel water park for family weekends.
• Visitors: when friends or family come from Singapore, the mall and hotel give them an easy meeting point and a place to stay nearby.

A typical week at The Asteriaz: condo near KSL City, three lifestyles

Life at The Asteriaz is built around short trips: a few minutes to the mall, around ten minutes to the CIQ, and facilities on Level 10 and the Level 43 rooftop for the time in between. Here is how that plays out for three common buyer profiles.

The Singapore commuter

A Singapore-based professional using The Asteriaz as a weekday base leaves for the border early, either driving or taking a short e-hailing ride to the CIQ or, once it opens, to the RTS Link station at Bukit Chagar. Evenings are where the location pays off: on the way home there is time to pick up dinner or groceries at KSL City, and the gym on Level 11 is an elevator ride away. Weekends free up because errands are done in small, quick trips during the week.

The young family

For a family in a 3-bedroom unit, daily life revolves around school runs, meals and keeping children busy. National primary schools SK Larkin 1 and 2 are listed about 600 m away, and the tower’s own Cosmic Kids Pool, Galactic Playground and Cosmic Playhouse on Level 10 handle after-school energy. The supermarket at KSL City or Holiday Plaza covers the weekly shop, and a cinema or water park outing is a short drive rather than a day trip.

The weekend owner or retiree

Owners who split time between Singapore and JB, or retirees who want convenience without a car-dependent suburb, value being able to walk or take a quick ride to food, banks and clinics. Holiday Plaza is about 550 m away, private hospitals such as KPJ Puteri Specialist Hospital (about 1.5 km) and Columbia Asia (about 1.9 km) are listed within a short drive, and the rooftop Moon Deck, Starlit Grill and Eclipse Dining area is a natural place to host family visits.

Beyond KSL: Holiday Plaza, Plaza Pelangi, City Square and Mid Valley Southkey

KSL City is the anchor, but The Asteriaz sits within reach of five or six malls, which is unusual for a single neighbourhood and gives residents real choice.

1. Holiday Plaza (about 550 m) is one of JB’s long-running malls, known for budget shopping, phone and electronics shops, and local eateries.
2. Plaza Pelangi, close by in the same district, adds offices, banks and everyday services.
3. Danga City Mall (about 1.3 km) offers another option for groceries and dining.
4. JB City Square (about 7 minutes’ drive) sits next to the CIQ and is useful when you are already heading to the border.
5. Mid Valley Southkey (about 10 minutes’ drive) is one of JB’s largest malls, with international brands and big-box retail for occasional bigger shopping trips.

For a resident, the benefit is that you rarely need to plan around one mall’s crowds or opening hours; there is almost always a quieter alternative a few minutes away.

Schools, clinics and transport around The Asteriaz

Besides the malls, the daily essentials are close: a bus stop about 80 m from the site, primary schools about 600 m away, a night market under 1 km away and two private hospitals within about 2 km, according to property portal listings.

Larkin Sentral, the main long-distance bus terminal, is useful for trips to Melaka, Kuala Lumpur and other towns without driving. For a fuller look at the surrounding area, our The Asteriaz project page brings together the location map and project details.

How life inside the tower complements the mall next door

The mall handles shopping and entertainment; the tower’s facilities handle exercise, relaxation and hosting. Together they mean residents can meet most daily needs within a few minutes of home.

The Asteriaz uses a space theme across its facility levels. Level 10 holds the Luna Pool, Luna Bay, Moon Bath, the Cosmic Kids Pool, a Hoop Court, the Galaxy Venue for pickleball and badminton, a Cosmic Library and children’s play areas. Level 11 houses the Nova Gym, and the Level 43 rooftop adds the Moon Deck, a Herbs Garden, the Starlit Grill and Eclipse Dining. The practical point for a resident is that the things a mall cannot offer, such as a quiet swim, a games court or a private barbecue with a view, are inside the building.

Getting to Singapore from a condo near KSL City

The Asteriaz is about 3.2 km from the Johor–Singapore CIQ, roughly a 10-minute drive in normal traffic. It is not within walking distance of the RTS Link station, so plan on a drive, a bus or e-hailing for the border.

The RTS Link, a roughly 5-minute rail shuttle between Bukit Chagar and Woodlands North, is targeted to start passenger service in February 2027, according to a joint LTA–MOT statement in October 2026; fares have not yet been announced. The developer has proposed a shuttle between Kebun Teh and the CIQ / RTS area, which should be treated as a proposal until confirmed in writing. For the timeline in detail, read our RTS Link opening date explainer, and for walk-to-station options compare our shortlist of condos near the JB RTS station.

Why living beside a mall hub can support rental demand

Tenants consistently look for three things: easy food and groceries, easy transport and a building that feels new. A condo near KSL City scores on the first two by location and on the third by being one of the newest towers in Kebun Teh.

The surrounding Kebun Teh market is mostly older stock. Zennith Suites, a leasehold project completed in 2013, is listed at roughly RM362–489 psf with asking rents of about RM1,500–2,200 a month, and NAPIC data puts the Kebun Teh median at around RM486 psf. These are asking prices and transaction medians for older buildings, not figures for The Asteriaz, but they show the kind of established rental market the new tower will sit in.

Historically, new towers with full facility decks in mature, amenity-rich neighbourhoods tend to stand out in rental listings, because tenants can compare them directly with older blocks nearby. Likely tenant groups include people working in central JB and around the malls, Singapore commuters who want a short drive to the CIQ, and families who want schools and clinics close by. To model the numbers yourself, use our rental yield calculation guide.

Practical tips before choosing your unit

Daily comfort depends as much on the unit you pick as on the neighbourhood. A few checks will help you match the unit to the lifestyle described above.

• Pick the layout for your routine. The 560 sq ft 1-bedroom + study suits singles and commuters; the 915 sq ft 3-bedroom units suit families and room-by-room renting.
• Check parking. Portal listings show one bay for the 1+1 and two bays for the 3-bedroom units; confirm this against the developer’s sales documents if you drive daily.
• Think about facing and floor. Ask which stacks face the mall side and which face quieter streets, and which floors clear the facility podium.
• Budget for running costs. Portals list maintenance at about RM0.51 psf; add the sinking fund, utilities and quit rent when planning.
• Read the SPA. Confirm tenure, land use category, completion timeline and what fittings are included.

For the latest SPA price list and available stacks, WhatsApp us. If you want to compare with the adjoining second phase, see our The Asteriaz vs The Celestz comparison.

Is The Asteriaz the right condo near KSL City for you?

If you want new-building living within minutes of KSL City, Holiday Plaza and everyday services, and a short drive to the border is acceptable, The Asteriaz is one of the strongest options in Kebun Teh. If walking to the RTS station is essential, compare it with EXSIM’s city-centre project, Causewayz Square, which sits about 800 m from Bukit Chagar station.

Either way, the best next step is to look at the unit list and floor plans for your budget. WhatsApp us for the latest SPA price list and floor plans.

Sources

• The Asteriaz @ Kebun Teh project microsite
• EdgeProp: The Asteriaz @ Kebun Teh listing
• The Asteriaz @ Kebun Teh project fact sheet
• Wikipedia: KSL City
• YOU.co: KSL City Mall guide
• LTA: RTS Link service targeted for February 2027
• iProperty: Zennith Suites rental listings

This guide is general information, not financial advice.