Simoleon

The Simoleon (§) is the unit of currency used in the SimCity and The Sims series. It is assumed to be the national currency of SimNation. While in The Sims, Simoleons resembled US dollar bills, The Sims 2 onwards made them red, orange, and white.

Its value can vary between titles, and doesn't consistently reflect any real-life currency (such as the US dollar or British pound), as many of the more expensive items are marked down in price, while some of the cheapest may be marked up; for example, in The Sims 2 an SUV costs approx. §4000, while a pizza costs §40. Usually, items of limited duration are more expensive, while durable objects or house structures are cheaper. This reflects the fact that a Sim has less time to earn money in the series than would be available in real life. Much like the real world, better quality items are generally more expensive. Also, the simoleon has no sub-units; the only way something can cost less than §1 is for it to be free.

In SimCity, a stretch of road is §10 per segment and a Police Department §500. According to the SimCity 2000 "City Value" menu, one § unit that represents the cost of a building actually equals §1,000.

In another Maxis game, Spore, the Sporebuck symbol in both the Civilization and Space Stages (§) is the same symbol as a Simoleon (§).

In The Sims Medieval, Simoleons are known as Simoles although the § character is still used to represent them.

How much money can Sims have?
In The Sims 3 for Windows and Mac OS X, and The Sims 3 for console, 8 digits (up to §99,999,999) can be displayed, while earlier Windows games can show up to 7 digits.

Console versions of The Sims, The Sims Bustin' Out, The Urbz: Sims in the City, The Sims 2, and The Sims 2: Pets only display 6 digits.

Starting money
In The Sims, The Sims 2 and The Sims Stories, families will start with §20,000.

In The Sims 2: Apartment Life, a new rule for figuring starting money has been added. The amount of starting money depends on the number of Sims in the family and their ages.

In The Sims 3 and The Sims 3 for console, a household will start with §16,500 to §30,500/§26,500 depending the on number of Sims created and their ages. For example, a single-Sim household made in CAS will start with §16,500.

Sims need a minimum amount of money in order to buy food and pay their bills. Leaving bills unpaid for too long results in a visit from the repo-man. (In the handheld versions of The Sims Bustin' Out and The Urbz: Sims in the City, Sims/Urbz who skip their bills are arrested instead.)

Working for money
There are several ways for Sims to receive a steady income. The usual way is to work in a career or profession that gives the Sim a regular salary or stipend. Owning a business is another way to make money, though income from a business is not as steady as the income from a regular job, as the Sim does not get paid a salary.

Some Sims can make money through creative endeavors, such as painting or writing. In The Sims 2: University and The Sims 3 Sims can collect tips while playing an instrument. There are a number of crafts Sims can partake in, where the objects they create can be sold.

Investments are another way Sims can earn money. A Sim can buy a partnership in one of the rabbit holes in a neighborhood and collect weekly earnings. As of Ambitions, Investments are not limited to rabbit holes, and Sims can buy into almost every community lot, being challenged to upgrade it in order to make even more money.

Sims can make money by completing opportunities and choosing wisely when given a career chance card.

Inheriting money
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