How to earn money quickly in Cities Skyline 2

How to earn money quickly in Cities Skyline 2

If you need to buy something in a hurry then check out all of the ways to make money fast in Cities Skylines 2 here, with Milestones, taxes, and more.

31st Oct 2023 12:24

Images via Colossal Order

Figuring out how to make money fast in Cities Skylines 2 is essential if you want to expand your city, as everything has a price and the most desirable buildings hold a hefty one.

Building in Cities Skylines is not just about your landscaping or metropolitan planning prowess, as a big part of any successful city is the economic engine at the heart of everything. There are thankfully lots of ways to make money in the game, but knowing which ones are the fastest and most effective can catapult you into your dream metropolis with ease.

All you need to do is continue reading to find out how to make money fast in Cities Skylines 2, as we've got all of the best methods for you below.

Best ways to make money quickly in Cities Skylines 2

While there are many ways to grow your income efficiently over time, you'll want to check out the list below to see the best methods for making money fast in Cities Skylines 2:

  • Reach new Milestones
  • Demolish high-value buildings
  • Take out a loan
  • Raise taxes
  • Lower expenses

Some of these methods are more effective than others, giving you both larger sums and in a shorter amount of time - but they will all help you secure some quick cash to buy that all-important new landmark or continue expanding your city.

We've gone into more detail about each method to earn money in Cities Skylines 2 below.

1. Reaching new Milestones

Image of Milestones in Cities Skylines 2

By far the best way to get money fast in the early game of Cities Skylines 2 is by reaching new city Milestones. Each Milestone gives you a sizeable chunk of money that starts in the hundreds of thousands and quickly climbs into the millions.

You will naturally progress through these milestones as you play, but you can quickly make the jump by focusing on XP-gaining activities like constructing buildings and roads.

2. Demolishing high-value buildings

Image of the demolish building prompt in Cities Skylines 2

This is perhaps the most disruptive of all the methods, but it will definitely help you get money fast in the game. As you might have guessed, this method simply involves getting rid of existing high-value buildings in your city in order to (presumably) place newer, more necessary ones.

The predominant caveat in this instance comes from the fact that you need to already have high-value structures in your city for this to work, so it's not suited for the early game but is definitely something to consider once you've built a fair amount. After all, you can always add them back in the future when you've got a bit more cash.

3. Taking out a loan

Image of the loan screen in Cities Skylines 2

If knocking down expensive buildings is the most disruptive method on this list, then taking out a loan is the most dangerous when it comes to getting money fast. I personally try to stay away from loans as much as possible due to their long-term downsides, but they are the best way to quickly inject money into your city.

Whether it be to save a city's economy in the red, or to help you afford that all-important new landmark, loans will have you covered with an immediate rush of money. Just be wary of the payback amounts, as it's far too easy to bite off more than you can chew.

4. Raising taxes

Image of the taxes screen in Cities Skylines 2

Taxing your population might prove to be a little unpopular with your cims, but it's an incredibly effective way to make money fast in the game that only scales with your population too.

I'm always surprised just how much money can be injected into your account through taxes, and raising them even just 5% with a sizeable population can give you at least a few hundred thousand extra to work within your budget.

You will of course have to balance this with demand and ensure that you don't go so far that people start leaving (or can't afford it), but there is simply no better way to passively rake in the cash than with higher taxes.

5. Lowering expenses

Image of the expenses screen in Cities Skylines 2

Alternatively, one way that you can make money quickly in Cities Skylines 2 is to lower the amount that you're spending on your city. While every other method in this list has been about bringing money in, this is purely a preventative method to stop money from going out.

You'd be surprised how much you're overspending in some areas, with budgets for electricity, water, and other public services often being far higher than what you need them to be.

Take a look at your statistics and see if you're producing far more than your city needs in certain areas, and that is often a great way to hold on to the money you're generating and grow your accounts.

That wraps up all of the best ways to make money fast in Cities Skylines 2, letting you use your new-found wealth to splash out on your city with ease.

Check out our Cities Skylines homepage here for more news and guides like this one, and ensure that you're using the best Cities Skylines 2 graphics settings to improve your performance.

Harry Boulton

About The Author

Harry Boulton

Harry is a Guides Writer at GGRecon, having completed a Masters of Research degree in Film Studies. Previously a freelance writer for PCGamesN, The Loadout, and Red Bull Gaming, he loves playing a wide variety of games from the Souls series to JRPGs, Counter-Strike, and EA FC. When not playing or writing about games and hardware, you're likely to find him watching football or listening to Madonna and Kate Bush.

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