Everything from roads to buildings in Cities: Skylines 2 will cost you money, but you can’t earn it easily. First, you need to invest and then earn while paying your debt. Even though it is hard to make money, you don’t have to worry. I have some tips that you can follow to save and make some good cash early on.
Keep city plan under budget
Before starting, construct a rough plan and make sure it is under the starting budget. This means cutting off a small portion from your initial amount so you have some for extra use. Starting with a small city is helpful as you can focus on small aspects and use them to build your city.
Keep the size small until you are confident about handling bigger ones. Also, using a small city as a practice can teach you about the money going in and out so you can now see the bigger picture. You may not make much money, but you will learn how to save.
Complete Milestones
Certain milestones require you to complete some specific tasks. These tasks are pretty easy to complete, and if you go through the basic route of city building, you’ll meet them without a worry. Look them up and focus on completing them to get the most bonuses possible.
Once a milestone is completed, you get a notification that tells you you have a considerable sum of money (starting from 60k), along with coins that can be used to unlock other stuff. These bundles of cash can help cover extra expenses in Cities: Skyline 2.
Keep Industrial and Commercial Zones small
It’s better to keep commercial areas small. Not everything is needed at the beginning of the game. Only add the necessary things and then add more as the demand increases. Keeping the commercial area small can save you money.
This can happen as you only need more spots once the population increases. The same goes for industrial zones. Keep the population in mind, then plan for these zones.
Cover the city demands
Focus on producing and covering the basic needs of the residents within your city. That can help you from the start as developing locally can save you spending money on imports. With nothing coming in, you are saving money and profits from the basic consumption of the item in demand.
Making industries can take up a lot of money, but it’s better to build them locally, as imports can cost more in the long run.
Make 3×6 residential houses
The residential zone covers the most significant area. This will attract the population to your city, so having them large enough is also important. Well, to make the most out of it, it’s best to have houses formed at 3×6.
This can keep the houses in a stable space with the most profitability. The space is also well divided between the tiles, making it an ideal size for residential houses in bulk.
Take Loans Keeping your Economy in Mind
For fast money, you can always take a loan in Cities Skylines 2. The loan can be of any amount, which can be later paid in small sections once you start generating profit. Even though this is the easiest way to make money fast, it’s not recommended.
That is solely because once you get the loan, you need to pay back a lot more than what you got. The original rate is infused with the interest, which is mostly a considerable amount. If you already have more than what you got, take as much loan as you want. Just make sure it doesn’t put strain on your economy.
Export water, electricity, and goods
Exporting is the easiest way to make money. Exporting water can be done quickly by connecting it to the outside world, and the same goes for electricity. Once the connection is done, you’ll get the export meter going with a steady flow of export benefits.
You can also export various goods, from food and beverages to wood, raw materials, etc. If you have any of these in excess, the city can make more than the demand and use ships, trains, or planes to export it. Once this cycle becomes constant, you can see the results quite fast.
Keep Taxes stable
Taxes are important in keeping the economy in Cities Skylines 2 stable. For this, you must select a tax rate and stick to it. You can either choose a high tax rate or a low one; it depends on your bigger plans. The usual 10 to 14% tax rate is the most stable bracket, so stay between it.
That will not misguide residents when moving in and will keep them inside. This will, in turn, generate profit along with a stable tax rate. As suggested by many players, having a 12% tax rate is the most effective in every situation.
If you still want to increase, take it to 15% max. Ensure you are not going overboard, which can make your resident leave. If you are in a crisis, then you can go a little up on taxes. On the other hand, you can also relieve the public by lowering the rate from 12 to 11 or 10. This would attract more people to the city, and in turn, the large number can cover the lower tax rate.
Public Transport and Tourism
It’s not a big part of making money, but it can aid in maintaining it. Once public transport becomes common, the other expenses for separate vehicles will drop. It is not a big difference, but it can be considered while other ideas can generate income.
Sometimes, this can benefit when tourism becomes more constant, so it is better to work on that to make the best out of public transport.
Once the city is fully developed, you can have a few attractions that make people want to tour the city. This can increase the tourism industry and, in turn, give you a considerable amount. As mentioned above, one way of making money through tourism in Cities Skylines 2 is public transport.
Once more people visit your city and spend money, the profit will ultimately come to you, which is an excellent way to make money.
