Meow and Economy

Overview

inZOI uses a dual currency system. Meow (also called Mew) is the everyday currency earned from jobs, selling items, and other in-game activities. Meow Coins (also called Mew Coins) are a secondary currency earned exclusively through completing Urges and Ambitions, and can only be spent at the Meow Store on special donut items that provide various effects (some temporary, some permanent like the Immunity Donut which grants lifelong immunity to colds and allergies). The two currencies exist in parallel and cannot be exchanged for each other.

Every aspect of a Zoi's daily life revolves around Meow. From paying rent and buying groceries to funding a business venture or purchasing a new vehicle, the currency touches every gameplay system. Understanding how to earn, save, and spend Meow effectively is one of the most important skills for any player, whether they prefer a comfortable suburban lifestyle or an ambitious climb up the corporate ladder.

Meow

Meow is used for everything in daily life: buying furniture, purchasing clothing, paying utility bills, buying food and groceries through the Pocket Market on the smartphone, purchasing vehicles, and repaying loans. It functions exactly like money in the real world. The Meow symbol appears next to prices throughout the game's interface, including shop menus, the Pocket Market app, and bill notifications.

Money Cheat

Unlike many life simulation games that require console commands or third-party tools, inZOI includes an official money cheat built directly into the game's help system. To use it, click the Psycat Guide button (the guidebook icon with a question mark) at the bottom-right corner of the screen. At the bottom of the Psycat Help menu, between the Customer Support and Emergency Rescue buttons, there is a Use Money Cheat button. Each click adds 100,000 Meow to your household funds instantly, and you can click it an unlimited number of times. There is no cooldown, no penalty, and no achievement restriction for using it.

The money cheat is fully sanctioned by KRAFTON and intentionally easy to find. It is designed for players who want to focus on building, decorating, or storytelling without worrying about finances. Using the cheat does not disable any features, lock any content, or affect your Zoi's Karma. Players who prefer a financial challenge can simply ignore it.

Ways to Earn Meow

There are many ways to earn Meow in inZOI, ranging from stable career salaries to creative ventures and even criminal activity. The table below summarizes every known income source.

Career Salary Comparison

Career salaries vary widely in inZOI. Below are the highest-paying positions across all career tracks, listed by pay per shift. Zois start at entry-level positions and must earn promotions to reach the top tier. The Criminal career offers the highest raw salary, but the Law career is often considered the most efficient because its top position pays nearly as much for a shorter shift.

Salary mods are available on community sites like Nexus Mods for players who feel default salaries are too low, though using mods may affect the intended gameplay balance.

Creative Income

Selling handcrafted items is one of the most profitable ways to earn Meow, especially at high skill levels. The general pattern is the same for all creative outputs: a Zoi uses a skill to create an item, then lists it on the Pocket Market or sells it through other means. The selling price is directly tied to item quality, which in turn depends on the Zoi's skill level.

Painting stands out as the single most lucrative creative method. At maximum Art skill, a Zoi can produce excellent-quality paintings worth tens of thousands of Meow each. Community members have documented earning over 80,000 Meow in just five hours of focused painting, using the "Paint with Soul" option on the easel. The strategy involves scrapping anything below excellent quality and only selling top-tier work. Even without min-maxing, casual painting at mid-level skill easily out-earns most career salaries.

Other creative outputs (books, music, videos, and software) follow the same quality scaling but typically cap at lower values than painting. Writing books has the added benefit of generating passive royalty income for a period after publication, which can add up over time without additional effort from the Zoi.

Business Income

Running a business in inZOI can be the most profitable activity in the game, surpassing even the highest career salaries. However, business income depends heavily on active management, menu optimization, and location.

Food businesses (cafes, restaurants, bakeries) are the most common type. A typical two-star cafe with two employees can generate around 4,500 to 13,000 Meow per day. The key to maximizing food business profit is to focus on high-margin items. Group meals and desserts sell for roughly ten times their production cost, so stocking the menu with these items dramatically increases daily revenue. Higher Cooking and Baking skill levels unlock more expensive recipes.

Gym-based businesses have been reported by players to be even more profitable, with some earning over 20,000 Meow per opening cycle. The important caveat is that revenue drops significantly when the owning Zoi leaves the business lot, so maintaining a physical presence during operating hours is crucial. Players who want to maximize business income should plan their Zoi's schedule around the business's peak hours.

Spending Overview

The largest expenses for most households include:

• Housing costs (rent, mortgage, or property purchase)

• Utility bills (electricity, water, gas) billed weekly

• Food costs (cooking ingredients, restaurant meals, delivery)

• Furniture and home decoration purchases

• Clothing and accessories from shops

• Loan repayments if the household has taken out bank loans

• Insurance premiums for property, disaster, and life coverage

• Vehicle purchases and maintenance

• Business startup costs and employee wages

A comfortable lifestyle in inZOI requires balancing income with these recurring costs. Players who overspend on furniture or clothing early on can quickly find themselves unable to cover bills, triggering the welfare system or forcing a loan from the bank (or worse, a loan shark).

Bills and Expenses

Bills arrive every Friday via a notification from the Tax Department on your Zoi's smartphone. The bill includes a breakdown of all charges: electricity, water, and property tax. You have a two-day deadline to pay. The bill notification includes the total amount due, a line-item breakdown, and the payment deadline.

To pay bills, open the notification on your smartphone and select the payment option. If you miss the deadline, you will receive a second notification warning that your bills are overdue. At this point, penalties begin:

• Electricity is shut off: Lights, appliances, and electronics stop working in the house.

• Water is shut off: Showers, sinks, and toilets become non-functional.

• These restrictions remain until the overdue amount (plus any penalties) is paid in full.

The cost of utility bills scales with household size and appliance usage. Larger homes with more electronic devices and water fixtures will have higher bills. Players who want to minimize expenses can build smaller, more efficient homes or reduce the number of power-hungry appliances.

Insurance

inZOI features an insurance system that acts as a financial safety net for unexpected events. Insurance policies are purchased through the Insurance app on the smartphone or computer. Each policy applies to all family members in the household, not just individual Zois.

Insurance premiums are ongoing costs that appear in your weekly bills. While they reduce your disposable income, the payouts can prevent financial ruin after a catastrophic event. Death Insurance in particular is worth considering for single-income households where the loss of the primary earner would leave the family destitute.

Banking

Savings Accounts

Zois can deposit Meow into savings accounts at the bank, which earn interest over time. This provides a passive income stream and protects savings from being spent impulsively by other household members.

The savings system operates on a tier system. To open an account, visit either Narae Bank or Southwest Bank and interact with the ID Scanner. The initial Tier 1 deposit is 250 Meow. After three in-game days, the deposit matures with interest and the funds are returned to your account. You then unlock Tier 2, which allows a larger deposit. Each successive tier increases the deposit amount and the interest earned, rewarding long-term saving.

While the returns are modest compared to selling paintings or running a business, bank interest requires zero effort from the Zoi. It is a good way to grow a nest egg passively while the Zoi earns income through other means.

Bank Loans

Both Narae Bank and Southwest Bank offer loans to Zois who need funds for property purchases or business investments. Like savings, loans operate on a tier system. A Tier 1 loan provides 300 Meow, with higher tiers unlocking larger loan amounts as you build repayment history.

To apply for a loan, visit a bank and interact with the ID Scanner. After submitting the application, the bank takes approximately three in-game hours to process it. Once approved, the loan amount is credited to your account. Bank interest rates are approximately 1%, making them very affordable compared to alternatives.

To repay a loan, return to the bank and interact with the ID Scanner. The full repayment amount (principal plus interest) is deducted at once. Your bank account is effectively locked (no new loans or tier progression) until you fully repay the current loan. Missing payments incurs penalties but the consequences are far milder than those from loan sharks.

Loan Sharks

For Zois who cannot qualify for bank loans or need money urgently, underground loan sharks offer high-interest alternatives. Loan sharks provide quick cash in amounts of 2,500 or 5,000 Meow, but with a steep 5% interest rate that accumulates rapidly.

The consequences of missing loan shark payments are severe. Debt collectors will visit your household and they are far more aggressive and threatening than bank representatives. Continued non-payment can result in:

• Threatening visits from debt collectors that frighten household members

• Forced seizure of household assets, making certain items unusable

• Property damage to the home

• Negative impacts on the Zoi's emotional state and relationships

Using loan sharks is tied to the crime system and is generally a last resort. The high interest means that even a small loan can snowball into an unmanageable debt if the Zoi does not have a reliable income to cover repayments. Players who want to experience the loan shark storyline should save beforehand.

The Lottery

Zois can purchase lottery tickets for a chance at Meow prizes. Tickets cost 5 Meow each and are purchased from Lottery Stands found at parks in Dowon or inside stores in Bliss Bay. Simply interact with the Lottery Stand and select "Buy a Lottery Ticket."

Prize amounts range from small payouts to jackpots of 1,000,000 Meow or higher. The odds of winning are significantly better than real-world lotteries, making it a viable (if unreliable) way to supplement income. Buying multiple tickets in a single draw increases your chances of winning.

The lottery has an important interaction with the Karma system. Zois with high or good Karma have increased chances of winning prizes. You can boost Karma through donating, performing acts of kindness, compensating people you have accidentally harmed, and complimenting people who already have good Karma. This makes the lottery more profitable for morally upstanding Zois and essentially useless for those on a criminal path.

See Lottery for full mechanics and odds.

Welfare System

Households whose total funds drop below 1,000 Meow automatically receive a welfare payment of 2,000 Meow from the government. This safety net activates automatically without any player action required. It ensures that Zois can always afford basic necessities like food, but the payments are modest and not enough to maintain a comfortable lifestyle.

The welfare system triggers each time your household balance falls below the threshold, which means it can activate multiple times. Some players have noted that this makes true poverty impossible in the game, since the system always pulls you back above the threshold. This has been a point of community discussion, with some players requesting an option to disable welfare for a more challenging experience. As of the current version, there is no in-game toggle to turn off welfare, though community mods exist that remove the system entirely.

For players who want financial difficulty as part of their story, the welfare system can be worked around by intentionally spending the welfare payment on non-essential items, though the game will continue providing payments each time the balance dips.

Top Earners

The highest-paying career paths in inZOI include:

• Westside Hustler Boss (Criminal career) at 2,169 Meow per shift, the absolute highest career salary

• Partner Lawyer (Law career) at 2,040 Meow per 6-hour shift, the most efficient pay rate per hour

• All-Star Player (Sports career) at 1,998 Meow per shift

• Director at Aramir Group at 1,881 Meow per shift, only 3 days per week

Running a successful business can potentially earn more than any salaried career. A high-traffic restaurant or cafe with optimized menus can bring in over 13,000 Meow daily, and gym businesses have been reported earning over 20,000 Meow per opening. Combined with creative income from painting at max skill, a single household can easily accumulate hundreds of thousands of Meow per in-game week without using the money cheat.

Money-Making Tips

Below are some practical strategies for building wealth quickly in inZOI without using the money cheat:

• Sell extra furniture when moving in. Pre-built apartments come furnished with items you may not need. Enter build mode and delete redundant beds, chairs, and tables to recoup some Meow immediately.

• Max Art skill first. Painting at high levels is the fastest non-career income source. Focus on leveling Art early, then sell only excellent-quality paintings through the Pocket Market.

• Use "Paint with Soul" for best results. This painting option on the easel produces higher-quality work. Scrap anything below excellent quality to maximize your average sale price.

• Run a food business with high-margin items. Group meals and desserts sell for roughly ten times their ingredient cost. Stock your menu with these items and keep your Zoi present at the business lot during peak hours.

• Stack income sources. Have one Zoi working a career while another runs a business or paints. Multiple income streams protect against any single source being disrupted.

• Save at the bank early. Even small Tier 1 deposits compound over time. Start saving as soon as you have stable income to build up a passive interest stream.

• Play the lottery with high Karma. If your Zoi has good Karma, lottery tickets become a positive expected-value purchase. Buy several tickets per draw for the best odds.

• Avoid loan sharks unless roleplaying. The 5% interest rate on shark loans makes them extremely expensive. Bank loans at 1% are almost always the better choice.

• Keep bills paid on time. Overdue bills result in utility shutoffs and penalties that cost more than the original amount. Set a reminder to check your smartphone on Fridays.

Meow Coins

Meow Coins are a secondary currency completely separate from Meow. They are earned exclusively through completing Urges and Ambitions, and can only be spent at the Meow Store on special donut items. Meow Coins are tracked individually per Zoi and cannot be shared between household members.

Earning Meow Coins

Urges are short-term impulse tasks that appear randomly based on a Zoi's Traits, Values, Hobbies and Preferences, age group, and career milestones. Up to 4 Urges can be active simultaneously, each with a 12 in-game hour timer. Completing an Urge rewards 5 Meow Coins plus a positive mood boost.

Ambitions are long-term life goals available to Young Adults and older. Each of the 22 Ambitions has 3 completion levels with increasing rewards:

Accessing the Meow Store

Press the Zoi Card (O key) and select the Meow Store button above the Ambitions tab. Each Zoi has their own separate store and balance. Donuts are consumed immediately upon purchase, and timed effects begin the instant you buy them.

Donut Catalog

The Meow Store sells donuts organized into several categories:

Need-Filling Donuts

Instantly fill a specific need gauge to maximum.

Slow Depletion Donuts

Reduce the rate at which a specific need decays for a period.

Enduring Donuts

Prevent a specific need from decaying at all for a limited time.

Emotion Donuts (6-Hour)

Force a specific emotion for 6 hours.

Max Emotion Donuts (12-Hour)

Force a specific emotion at maximum intensity for 12 hours.

Emotion Modifier Donuts

Boost the rate at which positive emotions are gained or reduce negative emotion intensity.

Skill and Special Donuts

Karma Donuts

Spending Strategy

Donut purchases should be timed around specific needs and activities for maximum value:

• Use Skill Boost Donuts before long skill-grinding sessions to level up 50% faster

• Use Enduring Energy Donuts before work shifts to avoid the Zoi falling asleep during their shift

• Use Relationship Boost Donuts before dates or social events to maximize relationship gains

• Use Luck Donuts before mining trips, job performance reviews, or lottery ticket purchases

• Save Karma Donuts for when your Zoi's karma is dangerously low before death, as karma affects afterlife destination

• Use Focused Donuts when the Zoi needs to study, paint, or work on skill-intensive tasks for better outcomes

• Avoid buying Need-Filling Donuts when the need is only slightly depleted; wait until it is critically low for the best value

Since Meow Coins can only be earned through Urges and Ambitions, they accumulate slowly. Prioritize donuts that directly support your current goals rather than buying them impulsively. Skill Boost Donuts and Luck Donuts tend to offer the highest return on investment for most playstyles.