While playing Cities Skylines 2, you may run into money troubles pretty quickly if you make the wrong moves. Debt may even become part of your gameplay if you aren't careful. This can cause chaos all across your save file, and make the game less fun to play. That's why I have some helpful tips both for getting out of debt and avoiding it in the first place.
How to recover from debt in Cities Skylines 2
Reduce power output
Sometimes, you may have excess power being put out into your town. This can greatly lower your income, so you need to be mindful of it. Adjust the budget of power you allow to go out into the town, and you'll likely reduce your expenses a decent amount. This will enable you to get your money back more quickly.
Lower budget for healthcare
In the real world, severely reducing the budget for healthcare would probably have dire consequences. Thankfully, citizens in Cities Skylines 2 don't get too angry about this sort of thing. For a limited period of time, slashing your expenses on healthcare will help you regain some cash. Just keep an eye on the health of your citizens.
Stop spreading out residential districts
Keep your district zone buildings close together (especially your residential ones). You can have some space between zones, but keep buildings within a zone close to one another. Residential district buildings require services across a certain area, so keeping things closer will strop you from needing more services. Keep those services (e.g. police, fire, and schools) close to residential homes.
Look for extraneous infrastructure
Sometimes you've thrown down one too many roads, or you've got a crazy underwater pipe/sewer situation going on. You may even have too many power lines, windmills, etc. The same applies for extra roads that you aren't using. All of these things cause fees to rack up and drain your finances. Demolish these if you can still operate fine without them. Also, work towards having efficient infrastructure.
Raise taxes or get a loan
We left this one for last because it tends to be both obvious and less creative than other options. Plus, loans can pile up and leave you with more stress down the road. Raising taxes may also give you a temporary boost in your finances, but it can upset citizens and even cause them to move away from your town. You can use these options if you're in real trouble, but just be wary.
Related: Cities Skylines II – Release date, platforms, game pass, & more!
How do you avoid debt in Cities Skylines 2?
Hold off on healthcare
If you can last without healthcare, do it for as long as possible. Healthcare buildings cost a lot of money, and implementing healthcare the second it becomes available will drain your money. Use your healthcare buildings and hospitals when you need them for your citizens, but not any sooner. If you do this, you'll be wealthier by the time you need to put them in.
Watch power output
This is the same tactic to eliminate debt in Cities Skylines 2, but it also works as a preventative measure. Keeping a tight leash on your power budget will always be a good financial strategy while building your city. Overuse of power is one of the biggest financial drains you can encounter, so watch your output.
Keep citizen needs in mind
Sometimes, holding back on services or buildings can actually come back to bite you; it's a balancing act. Try to keep an eye on what you citizens want, because they will move away if you deprive them too often. When too many people move away, you'll be left with empty buildings that still cost you money. Also, less people will be working, which causes less money to come in.
Want to read more about Cities Skylines 2? If so, check out Cities Skylines 2 commits to mods in developer update on Pro Game Guides.
Bethany has been a writer at Pro Game Guides for over two years, but she has been into both gaming and writing for countless years. When not writing helpful guides for fellow gamers, she can be found playing on her PC or Switch, writing short stories, and watching horror movies.