Revision 11

Meow (M) is the primary currency in inZOI. Every purchase, from food to furniture to housing, requires Meow. This guide covers every known income source in the game, ranked from the most reliable to the most niche, so you can choose the best strategy for your Zoi's lifestyle. Whether you are starting a brand-new household with barely enough Meow for groceries or sitting on a comfortable nest egg and looking to maximize returns, the sections below walk through each method's requirements, approximate earnings, and practical tips.

Income Comparison Overview

Before diving into the details, the table below summarizes every major income source in inZOI so you can compare them at a glance. Estimated daily earnings assume high skill levels and active play unless noted otherwise.

Careers

The most stable income source is a full-time career. Entry-level positions pay between 136 and 450 Meow per shift (Idol Trainee starts at 136, military at 279, firefighters at 297), while top-tier positions can earn over 2,000 Meow per day. The following table lists the highest-paying career positions in the game:

Reaching these top positions requires significant time investment, high skill levels, and consistent work performance. Most players will spend dozens of in-game days climbing the career ladder. To get promoted, complete assigned tasks efficiently; each completed task fills the promotion meter. Maintaining high needs and a good mood during work hours also improves performance ratings.

Career Tips

Creative Work

Creative skills produce sellable goods that can generate significant income, often surpassing career earnings at high skill levels. The quality of every item you create is determined by your Zoi's relevant skill level and their emotional state while crafting.

Paintings

Painting is one of the most lucrative creative activities in inZOI. A Zoi with high Art and Painting skill (Level 8 to 10) can produce Perfect-quality paintings that sell for over 6,000 Meow on the Pocket Market. Each painting takes approximately 26 minutes of real time at high skill levels. One player reported earning 80,000 Meow in just five real-time hours by painting at max skill with time speed set to 4x.

Painting Optimization Tips

1. Max out Art and Karma. Both the Art skill level and your Zoi's Karma influence the quality of paintings. High Karma increases the odds of a higher-quality outcome.

2. Use 'Paint with Soul.' When interacting with the easel, select 'Paint with Soul' instead of the basic paint option. This produces paintings with higher quality ceilings.

3. Reroll low-quality starts. Check the quality indicator when you first start a painting. If the quality shows anything below Excellent, cancel and start a new painting immediately. This saves time by avoiding hours spent on a low-value piece.

4. Sell on the Pocket Market. Open your Zoi's smartphone and list finished paintings through the Pocket Market app for the best prices. The Pocket Market reaches more buyers than placing items for sale at home.

5. Display and sell in Build Mode. After listing a painting for sale, move it onto a wall using Build Mode. Displayed paintings can still sell while decorating your home.

6. Match your Zoi's mood. A Zoi in a positive emotional state produces better results. Fulfill all needs before a painting session for the best outcome.

Digital Creations

Books, music, videos, and programs created through their respective skills can be sold through the computer's Sell option (not the Pocket Market). At high quality levels, digital creations sell for approximately 1,000 to 2,000 Meow each. Unlike paintings, digital creations are sold instantly through the computer interface, so there is no waiting for a buyer.

At beginner skill levels, digital creations sell for as little as 40 Meow. The income scales dramatically with skill progression, so digital creation is best treated as a long-term investment. Level up your chosen skill to at least 7 before relying on digital sales as a primary income source.

Handmade Furniture

Zois with the Handiwork skill can craft furniture at a furniture workbench and sell it for Meow. This is a slower income source compared to painting, but it produces items that can also be used to furnish the home before being sold. Higher Handiwork levels unlock more valuable furniture types. On Cahaya (from the Island Getaway DLC), the crafting system expands further, allowing Zois to refine mined gems into polished jewels and craft those into jewelry at a crafting table.

Bonsai Pruning

Pruned bonsai trees from the Gardening skill sell on the Pocket Market. Starting at Gardening Level 2, Zois can purchase a Bonsai Pot Stand and begin pruning decorative bonsai trees. Bonsai quality depends on both the Zoi's Gardening level and their emotional state during pruning. At maximum Gardening skill, players have reported earning 1,000 to 2,000 Meow per day from bonsai sales alone. Higher Gardening levels unlock more valuable bonsai styles, and a calm, focused Zoi produces noticeably better results.

Selling Methods

inZOI offers three distinct ways to sell items you have created or collected. Choosing the right method matters, because each one reaches different buyers and works with different item types.

For secondhand sales, you can purchase a Secondhand Sales Counter from the Flea Market Items tab in Build Mode and place it in a public area for better foot traffic. Items placed at home can also be marked for sale, but they sell more slowly because fewer Zois pass through residential lots.

Business Ownership

Owning and operating a business is the highest-earning activity in inZOI, but it requires significant upfront investment and active management. You can open a business through the Business App on your Zoi's smartphone (press P to open the phone, then select the Business App icon). You will need to purchase a commercial lot, furnish it with appropriate equipment, hire staff, and manage daily operations.

Gym Business Strategy

Gym businesses with scheduled lectures generate the highest daily revenue in the game, regularly exceeding 20,000 Meow per day. The key to gym profitability is the Lecture Board. Each paid lecture session teaches 5 to 6 Zois at approximately 560 Meow per Zoi, yielding 2,800 to 3,360 Meow per session. With two Lecture Boards running throughout the day and employees assigned to teach, a gym can cycle through many sessions. Adding standard exercise equipment (treadmills, weights) generates additional entrance fee revenue from customers who come just to work out.

Cafe Business Strategy

Cafes have lower startup costs and are more accessible for first-time business owners. Revenue comes from food and drink sales at the counter. Equip your cafe with a full kitchen, a coffee machine, and enough seating to handle foot traffic. Higher-quality furniture and decorations increase customer satisfaction and encourage repeat visits. Staff your cafe with at least one or two employees to keep production running while you manage other tasks.

Active vs. Passive Management

Active management (visiting your business in person) can triple daily earnings compared to leaving it unattended. Sending any adult household member to the business counts as active management. When you are present, customers arrive more frequently and employees work more efficiently. If you cannot visit in person, your business still earns revenue in the background, but at a significantly reduced rate. For maximum income, make a habit of sending a household member to the business lot at the start of each in-game day.

Business Setup Tips

Fishing

The Fishing skill provides a low-cost income stream that pairs well with other activities. You can fish for free at any body of water, or spend 5 Meow on advanced bait to improve your chances of catching rarer, more valuable fish.

Farming and Gardening

The Gardening skill allows your Zoi to grow vegetables, fruits, and flowers on dirt plots. Harvested crops can be sold for Meow, used as cooking ingredients to save money on food, or sold at market stalls on Cahaya. Tropical crops like Banana and Mango are available on the island.

Gem Mining and Jewelry Crafting

Introduced in the Island Getaway DLC, gem mining allows Zois to extract raw materials (Iron, Sodalite, Silver, and various gemstones) from mining nodes found at locations like Xiang Park, Bliss Garden, Cahaya Farmland, and Harang River Park. You need a pickaxe, which can be purchased at the Farm Store on Cahaya.

Bank Deposits

Zois can open savings accounts at banks to earn interest on deposited Meow. Visit a bank, interact with the ID scanner near the counters, and choose 'Make Tier 1 Deposit' of 250 Meow. Three in-game days later, the deposit matures with interest and is automatically returned to your account.

Bank deposits are a low-risk, low-reward income strategy. The interest earned is small, but deposits require zero effort after the initial transaction. They work best as a passive supplement to active income sources. Deposit your spare Meow whenever you have surplus funds that you will not need for three days.

Lottery

Lottery tickets cost 5 Meow each and are available at public spaces like Central Park. Prizes go up to the jackpot of 1,000,000 Meow. The odds of winning the jackpot are extremely low under normal circumstances, but two factors can improve your chances:

The lottery is not a reliable income source, but the 5M ticket price is negligible. Buying the occasional ticket is a low-risk gamble that could pay off enormously. Do not count on it as part of your financial plan.

Busking

Zois with musical or performance skills can busk (street perform) in public areas for tips from passersby. To start busking, visit a public location like a park, beach, or town square where other Zois gather. Select an instrument or choose to sing, then interact with the crowd. Busking income varies based on the Zoi's Music or Singing skill level and the location's foot traffic.

Welfare

If a household's total funds drop below 1,000 Meow, the game triggers an automatic welfare payment of 2,000 Meow. This safety net prevents complete destitution and gives the household enough to buy basic food and supplies. Welfare payments are not repeatable on demand; they trigger based on the household's financial state. If your funds are critically low, the welfare system keeps you from starvation, but you should pursue active income as soon as possible.

Crime

For Zois walking a darker path, crime offers several income methods. All criminal activities require Bad Karma and carry risk of legal consequences.

ATM Hacking Details

ATM hacking is the most accessible criminal income method. To attempt it, find any ATM in a public area, select the Karma action, and choose 'Hack.' If your Zoi's needs are all met and they are in a good mood, you can reasonably expect to succeed and earn around 250 Meow. However, if your Zoi is tired, hungry, or has unmet needs, the ATM can electrocute them, resulting in instant death. Attempting to hack while police are nearby can also lead to arrest and jail time.

Crime is not recommended for new players. The income per action is modest (250M from ATM hacking is less than a single career shift for most jobs), and the risks, including death and imprisonment, make it one of the least efficient income methods in the game. Crime is best suited for roleplaying a specific character archetype rather than maximizing income.

Island Activities

The Cahaya island and other island locations from the Island Getaway DLC offer unique income sources that complement mainland activities:

Money Cheat

For players who prefer a sandbox experience without financial constraints, inZOI includes a built-in money cheat:

1. Open the game menu.

2. Navigate to Psycat's Guide.

3. Select 'Use Money Cheat.'

4. Your household receives 100,000 Meow instantly.

This cheat is repeatable and can be used as many times as desired. There is no penalty or achievement lock for using it. It is especially useful for players focused on building and decorating rather than managing finances. If you want to experiment with expensive furniture, test business layouts, or build your dream house without grinding, the money cheat removes all financial barriers.

Reducing Expenses

Earning more Meow is only half the equation. Reducing your household's daily expenses stretches every Meow further, especially in the early game when income is limited.

Early-Game Money-Making Walkthrough

Starting a new household with limited funds can feel overwhelming. A step-by-step approach to building wealth from scratch:

1. Get a job immediately. Apply for any available career through the Job Board or newspaper. Even entry-level positions (136 to 450M per shift) provide a baseline income that covers basic expenses.

2. Visit the library. Read free skill books to start leveling Art, Gardening, Writing, or another income-producing skill. This costs nothing and sets up future income streams.

3. Buy an easel. As soon as you can afford one (~200M), purchase an easel and start painting. Even medium-quality paintings sell for 48 to 52M, which supplements your career income.

4. Cook all meals at home. Use the refrigerator to prepare meals rather than buying food. This alone can save 50 to 100M per day.

5. Busk on weekends. On days off from work, take your Zoi to a busy public area and busk for tips. This generates income during time that would otherwise be unproductive.

6. Level up Art aggressively. Once your Art skill reaches Level 8 or higher, Perfect-quality paintings become attainable. A single Perfect painting (6,000M+) is worth more than several days of career income.

7. Save for a business. Once you have 40,000 to 60,000M saved, consider opening a gym or cafe. The initial investment is steep, but the daily returns quickly surpass all other income sources.

8. Diversify. Combine two or three income sources. A household with one Zoi working a career and another running a business while painting on the side can accumulate wealth rapidly.

Best Strategies Summary

The optimal money-making approach depends on your playstyle: