Tropico 5: How to Make Money Easily

Tropico 5’s Economy

Tropico 5 is all about keeping your people happy and staying in power for as long as possible. Unfortunately, you need a lot of money to do all of that, so you’ll have to build money producing buildings. Luckily, the buildings that make you money do give benefits to the people in the form of job quality or entertainment. With that in mind, always remember that you need to spend money to make money in Tropico 5. Keep in mind that while you might be in the red, you’re allowed to keep spending until you reach -$10,000. So, never consider a negative amount the end until this point. Alright, let’s go over the different and best ways to make that Tropican peso for your treasury.

Remember: You need to spend money to make money!

Plantations and Ranches in Tropico 5

Plantations and ranches should be the very first buildings you erect in Tropico 5. Place one of each plantation and ranch and put them in the greenest of pastures for optimal effectiveness. Then, watch the cash begin to flow. You’ll likely be in the red after finishing all of them and the basic needs for your country (library and grocery when you’re in the colonial era), but in no time you’ll see the earnings start to flow. See, these plantations and ranches can become the very backbone of your economy as they’re so cheap to build and will yield a ton of resources that don’t go for cheap out there. Additionally, you’ll have a ton of resources to feed your people, sell on trade routes, and package through industry means.

After researching the plantation and ranch upgrade techs, you’ll also increase your earnings a ton. You may have to pay a hefty sum for the upgrades on each one, but it’s well worth the price. And if you enact the Agricultural Subsidies and Organic Campaign edicts, you’ll receive incredible boosts to your revenue.

Mines and Fisherman’s Wharfs and Logging Camps

Let’s lump these all together for when you’ve put up one of each plantation and ranch. Explore around your island using your Palace’s guards to spot the mines around the mountains and hills. After researching the mining tech, place a couple around, get a wharf on the beach, and get a logging camp where your trees are rich and abundant. You’re all set with these starting raw resources, and you’ll supplement the cash from plantations and ranches. Not to mention that these resources also can benefit your people as well as be packaged within your industry.

Industry in Tropico 5

Now you might consider going with some factories. Personally, the only ones I always build are the Cannery (because I build a ton of plantations and then can upgrade them to also take meat), the Cigar Factory (because of my tobacco farms), and the Pharmaceutical Company later in the game. That’s it. You might consider the Creamery or the Lumber Mill worth it to start with, though, as they don’t require electricity and will take resources you definitely have in this stage of the game. However, I find that factories tend to never have workers in them after a certain point in the game. It’s as though your people become too smart for their own good and stop wanting to produce exportable resources. Thus, factories become a bit obsolete and are only good early in the game to make mad money. Except the Pharmaceutical Company, which comes later in the game and remains in style.

Trade Routes in Tropico 5

Don’t forget to always set your trade routes! You’ll need to develop your relationships with foreign powers to get the routes to work, but it shouldn’t be an issue if you build embassies for each one and praise all day every day. Look for the resource you definitely have so that you can just export that for pure profit. It also helps to target the most expensive deals. You’ll get a trade ship for each dock, and building a dry dock doubles that. So, if you get all your trade ships rolling up on a $3,000 deal… you get the picture.

Random Buildings That Get You Money

There are certain buildings that, once upgraded, will provide you with a steady flow of income depending on their effectiveness.

• Airports – Upgrade it and you’ll start getting extra revenue based on flights.
• Offices – Offices will develop money the more surrounded they are by houses.
• Customs Office – This building increases the base price of exports.
• Embassy – Developing your relationships with foreign powers increases your chances for aid each year.
• Newspaper/TV Station – Upgrading each of these leads to them generating profits.
• Bank – Banks add an interest to your treasury, provided you can keep it above the red.

Entertainment and Tourism in Tropico 5

The final way to make that cash flow is through entertainment. While this won’t be incredibly viable, couple it with a good tourism industry for some late-game steady profits. You’ll keep your citizens happy with entertainment boosts as well as make some extra cash to supplement all of your other earnings.