Look, Los Santos is expensive. Between the $2 million supercars and the orbital cannon strikes, your bank account in Grand Theft Auto Online can vanish in about ten seconds flat. Most players think they need a full crew of coordinated friends to actually get rich, but honestly? That’s just not true anymore. If you’re wondering about gta v how to make money online solo, the game has changed drastically since the early days of grinding Rooftop Rumble. You can absolutely become a billionaire entirely on your own.
You don't need a team. You just need a plan.
The biggest mistake solo players make is trying to do everything. They buy a Document Forgery office because it’s cheap, then realize they’re making pennies for hours of work. Don't do that. Efficiency is the only thing that matters when you're flying solo because you don't have three buddies to help you defend a slow-moving Post OP van.
The Cayo Perico Meta is Still King (Mostly)
Let’s address the elephant in the room: El Rubio. Even after the various nerfs Rockstar Games has implemented over the last couple of years, the Cayo Perico Heist remains the gold standard for solo players. It is the only major heist that allows you to fly to a private island, steal millions, and leave without a single teammate.
To get started, you need the Kosatka submarine. It’ll set you back $2.2 million for the base model. Don't worry about the upgrades like the guided missiles or the sonar station yet; they’re cool, but they won't help you make your money back. The real trick to soloing Cayo is stealth. If you get caught, the guards become a nightmare. If you stay quiet, it’s a walk in the park.
Focus on the Longfin approach vehicle. It’s faster and more flexible than the sub approach. Drive the boat to the main dock or north dock, grab your secondary targets (coke is best, then weed), and then head to the drainage tunnel to enter the compound. Once inside, you’re looking for the primary target—be it the Sinsimito Tequila or the elusive Pink Diamond.
One thing people get wrong? They think they have to kill everyone. Nope. You can basically run past 90% of the guards. Just watch the cones of vision on your mini-map. If you're fast, you can clear the whole thing in under 12 minutes, bagging upwards of $1 million per run. Since the cooldown for solo players was increased to 3 in-game days (about 144 minutes), you need to fill that gap with other businesses.
The Agency: Your New Best Friend
If you’re tired of the island, the Agency (introduced in the The Contract update) is arguably the best "active" solo business in the game right now. Buying an Agency gives you access to Security Contracts, Payphone Hits, and the Dr. Dre VIP Contract.
The Dr. Dre contract is basically a solo-friendly heist that pays out a flat $1 million every time you finish it. It takes about an hour and a half if you know the missions. The best part? No setup costs. No complicated bag mechanics. Just you, some high-end firepower, and a lot of cutscenes featuring Dr. Dre.
Payphone Hits are the real secret sauce here, though. Franklin calls you up, tells you to take out a target in a specific way—maybe using a scoped rifle or a construction crane—and if you follow the instructions, you get a massive bonus. It takes five minutes. It’s the easiest $45,000 to $85,000 you’ll ever make in the game.
Passive Income and the Nightclub Strategy
You can't be working 24/7. You need money that earns itself while you’re out causing chaos or racing. This is where the Nightclub comes in. For a solo player, the Nightclub is the holy grail because of one specific feature: one-vehicle deliveries.
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Unlike the MC Businesses or the Bunker, where a full stock might force you to drive three slow trucks across the map, the Nightclub always uses a single vehicle. You can upgrade your Speedo Custom with a remote-controlled minigun and armor. It’s a tank. You can sell $1.5 million worth of goods solo in a public lobby and actually stand a chance against griefers.
To make this work, you need "feeder" businesses. You don’t even need to run them; they just need to be active.
- Cocaine Lockup
- Meth Lab
- Bunker
- Cargo Warehouse
- Counterfeit Cash
Assign your Nightclub technicians to these, and they’ll fill up your basement with crates while you’re doing other things. It’s pure profit. Just make sure to pop into the club every now and then to swap your DJ or throw out a troublemaker to keep your "Popularity" bar full. A full popularity bar nets you $50,000 every 48 minutes directly into your wall safe. It adds up.
The Acid Lab: The Solo Player’s Secret Weapon
The Los Santos Drug Wars update brought us the Acid Lab, and honestly, it’s a must-have for anyone looking at gta v how to make money online solo. You get the Brickade 6x6 for free by completing the "First Dose" missions. You do have to pay for the equipment upgrade (which is essential for profit), but it’s worth every penny.
Why is it so good for solo players?
- The delivery vehicle is a motorcycle. It’s nimble, fast, and can go off-road to avoid people trying to blow you up.
- The missions are short.
- You can "boost" production once a day to speed things up.
It’s the perfect "side hustle." You call Mutt, buy supplies for $60k, wait for him to turn it into $300k+ worth of product, and sell it in a 10-minute mission.
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Handling the "Griefer" Problem Solo
Let's be real. Selling cargo in a public lobby is terrifying. There’s always someone on an Oppressor Mk II looking to ruin your day. But here’s the thing: Rockstar added a "High Demand Bonus." If you sell in a full lobby of 30 players, you get a 50% bonus on your sale.
On a $1 million sale, that’s an extra $500,000.
Is it worth the risk? If you’re solo, use the Ghost Organization ability from the CEO menu. It hides you and your cargo from the map for three minutes. It costs $15,000, but when you're moving a million dollars of product, that’s pocket change. If you see a jet diving toward you, just find a new session immediately. You’ll lose a small tiny fraction of your product, but you won't lose the whole shipment.
Avoid These Money Traps
Don't buy a Hangar unless you love flying and hate money. The missions are tedious and the pay-per-hour is abysmal compared to Cayo or the Agency.
Don't focus on the Facility (Doomsday Heist) if you’re solo. You literally cannot do the finales alone; the game won't let you start them.
Don't buy the Document Forgery office. Ever. It’s the worst-paying business in the history of the game. You’ll spend more on supplies than you’ll make in profit.
Your Weekly Routine for Maximum Cash
The best way to stay rich is to rotate your activities so you don't burn out. GTA Online is a marathon, not a sprint.
Start your session by checking your Nightclub safe and your Agency safe. If you've kept your popularity up, that's an easy $70k-$100k right there. Then, head to your Acid Lab and buy supplies. While the acid is cooking, run a Cayo Perico heist setup.
In the middle of your setups, keep an eye out for Payphone Hits. They have a 10-minute cooldown, so you can weave them in between missions. If you get bored of setups, go to your Auto Shop (if you have one) and deliver a couple of customer cars. It’s low-stress and pays about $50k a pop.
By the time you finish Cayo, your Acid Lab should be ready to sell. Sell it, then go back to the Agency and run a few Security Contracts. If you hit 201 Security Contracts total, your Agency safe will permanently generate $20,000 every 48 minutes. That is the definition of "retirement money" in Los Santos.
Actionable Steps to Start Today
If you're starting from zero or just coming back after a long break, here is your immediate checklist:
- Complete the "First Dose" and "Last Dose" missions. You get a free supercar (the Ocelot Virtue) and the Brickade 6x6 for your Acid Lab.
- Save for the Kosatka. Use the money from the Dose missions to buy the submarine. This is your primary income source.
- Buy an Agency. This gives you the Dr. Dre contract and the high-paying Payphone Hits.
- Invest in a Nightclub. Only do this once you have at least three other businesses (Bunker, Coke, Meth) to link to it.
- Always check the weekly updates. Every Thursday, Rockstar rotates 2x and 3x money bonuses on specific activities. If an activity is on 2x money, stop your normal routine and grind that instead.
Staying solo in GTA Online doesn't mean you have to be poor. It just means you have to be smarter than the guys relying on a four-man crew that can't even stay connected to the server. Get your businesses running, stay off the radar, and the millions will follow.