Skip to content

Game Guide · Economy

Economy

every bill, every paradime

What life in Paralives actually costs: how bills arrive, what an hour of showering does to your water bill, which benefits pay out automatically, and how salaries climb from $250 to $2,100 a day.

BILLING

How Bills Work

the weekly rhythm

Utility bills land once a week on Monday. From the moment a bill arrives you have 24 hours to pay it, and payment takes 5 hours to go through, so don't leave it to the last minute.

Billing day

Monday

Payment deadline

24h

Processing time

5h

REAL COSTS

What Things Actually Cost

per hour of use

Computed from the game's own usage rates: this is how fast each kind of object burns paradimes while it's running. Hot water is by far the biggest drain, electricity is almost an afterthought by comparison.

Heavy water use

showers, baths

$39/hour

Light water use

sinks and taps

$7.20/hour

Major appliances

stove, washer and other big machines

$1.20/hour

Electronics

TV, computer and similar devices

$0.36/hour

Lights

every lamp left on

$0.059/hour

What does a shower cost?

A 20-minute hot shower runs through about 130 liters of water, roughly $13 on Monday's bill. Long baths and showers are the single biggest thing you can cut when money is tight.

EXPENSES

Bills & Taxes

the cost of living

Electricity

$0.076/kWh

Charged at $0.076 per kilowatt-hour and billed every 7 days. What you pay depends entirely on what's running, see the real costs above.

Water

$0.10/L

Every liter that flows costs $0.10, billed every 7 days. Showers and baths dominate this bill; sinks barely register.

Municipal Taxes

5%

5% of your lot's total value, charged every 3.5 days. The fancier your home and furniture, the bigger this bill, building modestly keeps it down.

INCOME

Benefits & Income

safety nets

Child Allowance

+$200

Your household automatically receives $200 for having children, no application, no conditions.

Unemployment Benefits

+$100

If nobody in the household has a job, $100 arrives automatically to keep you afloat.

SERVICES

Services

outsource the chores

Daycare

$15/h per child

Daycare is billed per child for the time they spend there, about $15 per hour per child. Handy on work days, expensive as a habit.

Daycare Transport

$20

A flat $20 per trip when your child is picked up from a different lot.

CAREER PERKS

Career Perks

payday modifiers

Some career unlockables change your household finances directly: bonuses add money on top of your salary, while training programs cost money for as long as they run.

Bonuses

All Expenses Paid CEO+$3000
Delayed Pay+$1000
Accountant Responsibility+$400
All Expenses Paid+$200
Spared No Expenses+$100

Paid trainings

Wellness Training Sessions−$200
Serious Behaviour Training−$200
Being A Better Learner−$200

Trainings are an investment: you pay while they're active, in exchange for the skill or behaviour boost they grant.

$250 - $2100/day

Salary Ranges

lowest to highest

Salaries are paid per workday, and every rank adds a bonus on top. Entry-level studio jobs start at $250 base pay a day, while the corporate ladder tops out at $2100 for the CEO chair.

CareerCompany$/day
Gameplay ProgrammerParallel Studios$250
Character ArtistParallel Studios$250
AnimatorParallel Studios$250
Environment ArtistParallel Studios$250
Engine ProgrammerParallel Studios$250
Technical DirectorClickWork Industries$800
Product ManagerClickWork Industries$1200
Operations DirectorClickWork Industries$1200
Chief Happiness OfficerClickWork Industries$1200
CEOClickWork Industries$2100

Frequently asked

Economy FAQ

How do bills work in Paralives?
Utility bills arrive once a week on Monday. Electricity and water are usage-based: the bill reflects what was actually running. Municipal taxes are 5% of your lot's value. You have 24 hours to pay each bill.
What's the most expensive utility in Paralives?
Hot water, by a wide margin. An hour of showering or bathing costs around $39, while running a major appliance for an hour costs about $1.20 and lights cost mere cents. If bills hurt, shorten the showers first.
What benefits can I receive?
Child Allowance pays $200 to households with children, and Unemployment Benefits pay $100 when nobody in the household has a job. Both arrive automatically, no application needed.
What happens if I don't pay a bill?
Each bill has a 24-hour payment deadline, and payment takes 5 hours to process. Don't let it slip: unpaid bills get your electricity and water cut off until you settle all accounts.

Related guides

CareersWants

Last updated:

Data extracted from Paralives Early Access game files (build 1). Stats and counts verified against the shipped catalog.