Cities: Skylines 2 – How to Make Money Fast

by Fernando Diaz / Articles, Cities: Skylines 2 / 01 Sep 2023

Hey City Slickers looking to boost your bankroll in Cities: Skylines 2? I feel you—building that urban paradise ain’t cheap & you find yourself a dime short more often than you’d like… But hey I’m here to hook you up with ways to make your city’s budget bloat like it’s Thanksgiving. Let’s get that dough!!

Spamming Services Like There’s No Tomorrow: You know how in real life you gotta spend money to make money? Same deal here. Kick things off by throwing down a bunch of water pumping stations or sewage outlets These bad boys are like printing money in the early game. You build ’em rake in the XP level up super fast and then—smash ’em down with the bulldozer?? Sure you’ll lose a quarter of the cash you dropped on ’em but the levels you gain unlock new ways to hustle even harder.

Playground Paradise: Hit level 4 & it’s game time with playgrounds. Cheap as chips to build & they give you mad experience. Lay down a long stretch of road & plop these puppies down like there’s no tomorrow. It’s gonna look wild like a playground extravaganza… Then once the strip’s packed wipe ’em out & rinse and repeat. It’s like an XP farm up in here.

The Water Selling Scheme: People are thirsty & we’re here to quench that thirst—for a price. Buy up to the map’s edge lay down your pipes & bam you’re in the water-selling biz.

Power to the People (For a Fee): Unlock that geothermal or coal power plant hook it up & let it rip. You’re now selling juice to the grid. Go for geothermal if you want to keep it green but remember it’s all about that underwater coverage.

Upscale ‘Burbs: Lay out your residential zones in checkmate patterns—think 3×3 or 3×6 with gaps. Let the community sprout up then fill in the gaps. Upscale living means upscale taxes. Later on 6×6 zones will be your cash cow.

Make ‘Em Move: Don’t put schools in the burbs Nah throw ’em far out. The further people travel the more they pay for the commute. You’ll turn a profit on their education journey.

Parking Lot Profits: Slap down a parking lot where it counts & crank those fees up. It’s all about location location location—& we’re cashing in on every spot.

Tram Trapping: Want folks to ride the tram? Give ’em no choice. Set up one-ways that make it impossible to get to work without it. Then introduce your tram lines as the only way through. It’s like fish in a barrel except the fish are paying you to swim.

District Policies Equals Cha-Ching: Outline your districts & hit ’em with policies that pull in the dough. Energy drinks? No energy consumption fees; and don’t even get me started on parking fees—jack ’em up…

Loan Sharks (But Like the Legal Kind): Running low on funds? Hit up a loan -> it’s a short-term fix for a cash crunch -> just don’t get in over your head…

Budget Cuts Like a DJ on the Decks: Healthcare doesn’t need to be VIP status right out the gate. Dial it back to 62% & you’re still golden.

Tax Time: Tax those commercial & industrial zones just shy of a rebellion—15-16% should do it. They’ll grumble but they’ll pay.

Homegrown Goods: Start producing what you’re using. Specialized industries cut down on import bills & keep more cash in your city’s pockets.

Signature Building Scam (the Legal Kind Promise): Need a signature building? Build a ton of one type of industry unlock the building & then knock down the excess. You keep the unlocks without the upkeep.

Tourist Trap: Once you’ve got the basics down it’s time to play the long game -> set up shop for tourists with fancy parks & shopping centers. Hotels attractions & transport hubs will have ’em coming in droves & leaving their money behind.

Stick with these tips & you’ll be rolling in it so fast you’ll need a money bin like Scrooge McDuck. Just keep an eye on your city keep the people moving keep ’em happy-ish & keep those funds flowing…

Fernando Diaz

Fernando is doing what he always did, sharing his honest opinions about games whenever he can. The difference is now he is writing and not talking about it.
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