Anno 117: Pax Romana – How to Make Money Fast

A thriving Roman city requires clever planning and a continuing flow of money. In Anno 117: Pax Romana, Denarii fuel everything you build: homes, production chains, trade, military, and civic services. If you want your islands to grow without constantly dipping into the red, you need to understand how money flows through your city.

This guide breaks down the fastest and most reliable ways to make money in Anno 117, be it gearing up for expansion or recovering from financial trouble.

How Money Works in Anno 117

You derive your income from three sources:

• Residents pay taxes and provide the workforce that keeps production buildings running.
• Area Effects – Some buildings provide various boosts to either income or population when placed near homes.
• Production Buildings: These produce goods that can be traded for a profit; however, they have upkeep costs.

At the top of the screen, you’ll see:

• Denarii: the money you presently have
• Balance means income minus expenses.

Your Denarii will constantly fluctuate. What counts is keeping your Balance positive so long-term wealth keeps trending upward.

How to Make Money Fast in Anno 117

1. Build More Houses Early

Your best early money machine is housing. More residents means:

• More workforce
• More taxes
• More output produced

If your Balance goes negative early, for instance, stop building production for a while and build more homes and amenities. A stronger population base corrects most economic problems.

2. Place area-effect buildings strategically.

Some buildings boost income or population for nearby houses.

Examples:

• Markets → increase both the income and population
• Specialist buildings → can raise income or workforce in their radius

Place these near residential blocks in order to maximize their effect.

3. Suspend productions in expensive buildings when necessary

Operating some production chains is costly. If your Balance falls:

• Open the building panel.
• Halt high-maintenance industries
• Keep only the essentials running

This stops your negative Balance from spiraling while still keeping your population supplied.

4. Building Efficient Chains of Production for Trade

Once you stabilize your economy, you can surely generate passive income by trading goods. A few production chains offer better margins than others, especially when upgraded.

Your goal is to:

• Produce more goods than needed
• Export them regularly
• Invest the profit in city expansion
• Don’t overbuild early; badly balanced chains drain your Balance fast.

5. Investigate income-increasing technologies

The Civics and Economic research trees have several strong money perks:

• Fish Markets (Economic) buffs income from Fishing Huts and Cockle Pickers. 
• Portitores (Civic) reduces the maintenance of all Warehouses and requires fewer workers. 
• Large Loan (Civic) allows taking out a significant loan from a competitor if you need a financial lifeline. 
• The other research nodes enhance the area effects of certain buildings either for income or population, stacking over time. 

6. Choose a God That Reduces Upkeep or Increases Production 

Deities aren’t just flavor; they can drastically change your economy. Two strong economic picks: 

• Neptune – up to 50% reduced ship upkeep 
• Mars – reduces upkeep of all troop training on that island 

Those savings add up fast, particularly on military-heavy islands. 

7. Receive gifts and bailouts if necessary

Your competitors may sometimes offer you money. There’s no shame in accepting when you’re running low—especially in the early game. If you play on a tough difficulty and continually find yourself slipping into debt: 

• Open Pause Menu → Game Setup 
• Scroll to Allow Bailouts 
• Set it to Always 

This safety net can prevent game-losing debt spirals. You can switch it back once you find your economic footing.