Ninso Nusa Bestari in Johor Bahru
With JB’s offerings already being super affordable due to the Singapore-favouring exchange rate, finding more ways to get more bang for your buck is pretty challenging. The money-savvy will know to do their grocery runs at the various supermarkets in JB, but if you’d like another way to truly stretch your SGD, plan a trip to Ninso Nusa Bestari.
It’s a huge 2-storey dollar store in Johor Bahru 25 minutes away from the JB customs, and they’ve got household essentials starting from just RM2.40 (~S$0.72). From cleaning supplies and instant noodles, to childhood snacks and off-brand Crocs, read on to find out what we sussed out from their extensive inventory when we paid them a visit.
What is Ninso Nusa Bestari?
Ninso Nusa Bestari is a dollar store located in Taman Nusa Bestari in Johor Bahru. Once you’ve entered JB via Woodlands Checkpoint, it’s roughly a 25-minute drive from the JB customs. We recommend calling for a private hire vehicle if you’re not driving there yourself, as taking the public transport there will take you over 1 hour and 20 minutes.
On our visit, we took a Grab not far from the JB Customs at Johor Bahru City Square Mall, which cost us RM17.51 (~S$5.27), and we arrived in 20 minutes.
Other than standalone buildings, Ninso outlets can also be found in shopping malls; this one’s in IOI Mall Kulai.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
Ninso Nusa Bestari is one of many Ninso outlets peppered around Malaysia; they’ve got stores all over West Malaysia in states like Johor, KL, and Selangor, and even a couple in Sabah and Sarawak. You can think of them as the Malaysian equivalent of Daiso, but you’ll find that a majority of Ninso’s goods are instead priced at RM2.40 (~S$0.72).
What can you buy at Ninso Nusa Bestari?
Ninso’s Nusa Bestari outlet is special, as it is combined with a Valu$ Store – a value dollar chain that Singaporeans should be familiar with – and as such, their offerings are quite extensive. Ninso Nusa Bestari’s first floor is mostly stocked with snacks and drinks, sprinkled with a selection of cleaning products, and a slew of other miscellaneous goods.
There is a wide selection of carton and canned drinks as well, which are perfect for when you’ve got visitors over at home.
We made a beeline for the drinks section for some respite from the blistering heat, and found the shelves filled with 1.5L bottles of an assortment of soft drinks. As expected, these were all priced at RM2.40 (~S$0.72), so restock your fridges with bottles of Sprite, Coca-Cola, Fanta, and A&W Root Beer.
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Over at the snacks section, the variety here is equally as impressive. Again, these snacks start at just RM2.40 (~S$0.72), and they’ve got familiar ones like Mister Potato potato chips, Twisties, and Tao Kae Noi seaweed. We’ve even spotted old school ones like these Snek Ku Mi-Mi prawn flavoured sticks and the iconic Muruku.
For instant noodles lovers, there are a bunch to choose from as well, whether you like your noodles dry or with soup. This particular Ibumie brand instant Mi goreng came in packs of 3 for RM2.40 (~S$0.72), which means you can satisfy your late-night supper cravings for just a little over S$0.20.
You can also pick up 3-in-1 packs of Milo to tide you through weeks of breakfast. However, this was where some of Ninso Nusa Bestari’s offerings started deviating from the RM2.40 price point, but if you do the math, they’re still worth buying here instead of Singapore.
For instance, these Milo packs were RM15.90 (~S$4.79), but that’s still much cheaper than its FairPrice counterpart, where the same pack of 18 Milo sachets costs S$12.25. For an even cheaper alternative, they’ve also got 3-in-1 Horlicks (RM10.90, ~S$3.28).
Pair your morning brews with the tried-and-tested London Roll. A box of 20 costs only RM6.85 (~S$2.06), and other than their standard choco rolls, they’ve got flavours like this strawberry one too.
Speaking of chocolate, munch on bars of Toblerone (RM6.50, ~S$1.95) and Hershey’s (RM3.50, S$1.05) if you’ve got a sweet tooth.
Other mouth-watering treats we uncovered include bags of Truffle chocolate bites for RM3.50 (~S$1.05), as well as these Waffle Bites (RM3.50 ~S$1.05), which are meant to mimic the best part of ice cream cones, AKA the little bit of chocolatey goodness on their ends.
Once you’re done shopping for your pantries, you’ll also chance upon Ninso Nusa Bestari’s range of cleaning products on level 1, where you can score even bigger savings.
For starters, this big bottle of Dynamo Power Gel Lavender Perfume liquid detergent costs RM18.90, or around S$5.69. For comparison, you can find the exact same 2.5KG bottle going for S$17.80 on Shopee, over 3 times more expensive than what you’d pay at Ninso Nusa Bestari.
You can also buy 1.6L refill packs of Softlan fabric softeners for RM6.95 (~S$2.09). Keep an eye out for personal care products too; we saw 500ml bottles of Johnson’s Baby Oil going for RM19.90 (~S$5.99), while 400ml bottles of Nivea Nourishing Lotion Body Milk moisturiser will set you back just RM16.90 (~S$5.09).
Moving on to the other things you can fill your cart with on level 1, there was a large clearance sale for plastic plant pots near the store’s entrance when we visited. These were dirt cheap, only costing RM0.50 per piece (~S$0.15).
Should you be looking for a new pair of kicks, you can also do some shoe-shopping right here, and we were surprised to find some of the more stylish silhouettes. Prices for the shoes here start at (RM39.90, ~S$12.02); there were pairs of trendy, chunky-looking trainers, along with this pair of sneakers which bear uncanny resemblance to the popular Jordan 4s.
Interestingly, there was a small corner dedicated to displaying luggages. For RM99 (~S$29.83), these aren’t as sturdy as your luxury TUMI and RIMOWA luggages, but they’ll do the job as long as you don’t throw them across your hotel rooms. These even come with a built-in lock, so you don’t have to fiddle with clunky padlocks.
Ninso Nusa Bestari’s level 2.
That’s about it for level 1, but we’ve still got a whole ‘nother storey to check out, so make sure you leave some space in your shopping carts. Level 2 of Ninso Nusa Bestari is filled with shelf after shelf of miscellaneous goods, such as stationery, containers, and tools. Again, most of the stuff you’d find here is slapped with the RM2.40 price tag, but do double check to make sure.
Serial dabao-ers will be delighted at the store’s selection of reusable plastic containers (RM2.40, ~S$0.72), while the rows of water bottles (RM2.40, ~S$0.72) here are great for staying hydrated with.
If you do a lot of cooking at home, these bundles of 4 paper towels (RM2.40, ~S$0.72) will prove to be helpful. Also, always having wet wipes on hand is an underrated superpower, so be sure to snag a couple of packs here for just RM2.40 (~S$0.72) each.
You guessed it, even these bath towels cost RM2.40 (~S$0.72), so do bring home a few to accompany you for gym or pilates sessions to come.
The footwear options extend even to level 2; opt for a comfy pair of Crocs-like slip-ons (RM15, ~S$4.52), or go for the humble flip-flops (RM2.40, ~S$0.72). These both come in all sorts of colours and shoe sizes, so do give them a try before heading for checkout. Don’t worry, the sizes are also stated on their tags, if you’d rather not stick your foot into them.
We also found an aisle with children’s clothing (RM2.40/piece, ~S$0.72) for sale. Don’t expect too much though, I would liken these to the garments you’d find at your standard pasar malam, but you can’t really complain based on the low, low price you’re paying. Apart from the ones hanging on the shelves, you can rummage through even more designs folded underneath.
This floor also has all the hangers you’d ever need. A set of 6 plastic hangers costs RM2.40 (~S$0.72), so consider buying them in bulk to solve your entire family’s clothes hanging woes.
Do pop by the stationery section too if you’re someone who deals with paperwork on a daily basis. From ballpoint pens and graphite pencils to highlighters, they’ve got it all for the sweet price of RM2.40 (~S$0.72).
Some of the more peculiar items for sale include these adorable night lights (RM2.40, ~S$0.72) which you can test out on a wall of sockets, and this nautical-themed wall clock (RM24.40, ~S$7.35) can be found in the, well, clock section.
We’d be here forever if we were to continue listing the things you can buy on Ninso Nusa Bestari’s level 2, so here’s a quickfire round of other useful things you can purchase here: tools like screwdrivers, tape measures, and pliers, umbrellas, rugs, ironing boards, plastic chairs and stools, electric fans, and childrens’ toys.
Stock up on essentials for cheap at Ninso Nusa Bestari in JB
We’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to the sheer amount of things you can buy at Ninso Nusa Bestari, but since we’re fun like that, we’ll leave it to you to discover the rest of their vast offerings. BTW, in true Don Don Donki fashion, the store even blasts its own theme song, which can quickly become an earworm as you do your shopping; just a heads up.
For more affordable haunts across the border, catch cheap blockbusters at these cinemas in JB. This JB cafe guide will come in handy for the cafe-hopping crowd on a budget, while these JB hotels cater to even the most spendthrift of travellers.
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If you’re looking for more places to explore in JB, also check out our Telegram channel, JB Weekend Plans, for ideas.
Photography by Lee Pei Yee.