If you’re looking for the best way to make money in GTA Online, then the Cayo Perico Heist is definitely the best choice right now. This heist was added to the game in December 2020 as part of the “The Cayo Perico Heist” update, and it quickly became one of the most popular ways to earn money in the game.

Cayo Perico Heist – The best way to make money in GTA Online

One of the main reasons why the Cayo Perico Heist is so lucrative is that it can be completed solo, which means you don’t have to split the profits with other players. This makes it an ideal option for players who prefer to work alone or who don’t have a reliable crew to play with. Additionally, the heist can be completed multiple times, which means you can keep earning money from it over and over again.

Best way to make money in GTA Online

Prerequisites

  • Buy the Kosatka submarine

Gathering Intel

To start the heist in GTA 5’s Cayo Perico island, you need to gather intel by sneaking around the island without getting caught. This involves stealing a plane from drug smugglers working for drug lord El Rubio and flying south towards Cayo Perico. You can scope out points of interest to find guard uniforms or extra loot, and then head towards the communications tower to hack into the signal box using an app on your phone.

While gathering intel, you can also look for infiltration points, with the Drainage Tunnel being the recommended spot if you’re going solo. To find it, jump into the water and swim to the marked spot on the map. After finding it, it’ll be available as an infiltration point.

To quickly exit the island, climb to the top of the communications tower and jump off to your death. This will instantly take you back to the plane, saving time.

Preparation

After gathering intel for the Cayo Perico heist in GTA 5, you’ll need to do prep missions before starting the heist. These missions need to be done each time you restart the heist, and while they can be repetitive, they’re necessary to get the loot you’re after.

However, not all prep missions are important. For the approach vehicle, use the Kosatka as it’s the fastest way to get to the Drainage Tunnel. For equipment, skip the detonation charges mission and focus on getting the cutting torch, fingerprint cloner, and either the plasma cutter or safe code depending on the item you’re stealing.

For weapons, you can’t bring all your weapons from GTA Online, so choose one of the provided loadouts and steal the guns. The Conspirator loadout is recommended as it includes a scoped military rifle, which is effective in taking out guards silently. However, the Crackshot loadout with a sniper rifle or the Aggressor loadout with an assault shotgun are also good choices. Regardless of which loadout you choose, make sure to equip suppressors unless you want to alert everyone on the island. Ignore all other prep missions as these items are all you’ll need.

Cayo Perico Heist

Alright, it’s time to start the heist. Choose the Kosatka as your approach vehicle and the Drainage Tunnel as your infiltration point and entrance. When the heist begins, swim underwater from the sub to the Drainage Tunnel grate, and use the cutting torch to open it. Swim forward to enter the compound.

You won’t be able to access all the areas containing additional loot without another person, but you can still fill up your loot bag. If you want more loot, you can make a detour to the Airstrip infiltration point before entering through the Drainage Tunnel and grab everything you can. But be careful, this means more swimming and more stealth.

Once you’re inside the compound, stealth is crucial. If you get caught, it’s almost impossible to escape, so take out guards quietly without setting off alarms or alerting anyone. One of the guards will be carrying a key that opens locked gates, making it easier to move around. Avoid the armored guard with the minigun at all costs.

There are two ways to get to the basement and steal the focal item of the heist. You can either hack into El Rubio’s secret elevator in his office or use the key to unlock a gate that leads directly to the basement. Both require using the fingerprint cloner for a hacking minigame, but using the key is easier as it only requires cloning one fingerprint. However, the office also has a secret safe with $70,000 and occasionally an expensive painting. So it’s up to you which way to choose.

Once you’re in the basement, use the cutting torch to cut the chain on the locked door, then either use the plasma cutter to cut through a glass case or enter the code to unlock the safe. Sneakily escape from the compound, and the front entrance is the easiest way out.

The Escape

Looking to successfully escape the island after the Cayo Perico Heist? If you haven’t set off any alarms, it’s as simple as heading around the compound walls towards a cliff overlooking the water. From there, dive in and swim underwater towards the north of the island (although swimming east can also work). Just keep swimming until the game hud disappears, the screen fades to black, and you’re in a cutscene. Congratulations, you’ve successfully completed the heist!

The Profit

It has the potential to earn you a significant amount of money – up to $900,000 or even $1.9 million per heist, making this the best way to making money in GTA Online.