How Much Money Do You Start With in Monopoly? (Correct)

When you set up your board to start playing Monopoly, one of the first things that you’ll want to know is how much cash each player gets to start with.

The rule sheet that comes with your Monopoly game will have all the details about how much money you start off with. But if you don’t have the official Monopoly rules, don’t worry.

This article explains how much money each player gets in every version of Monopoly.

But, it’s not a straightforward answer as different Monopoly sets have different rules. The Monopoly money distribution to start even varies depending on the country, when the board was made, and what version of the rules you play!

So, scroll down to find your Monopoly version and the correct starting money to give to each player…

How much money do you get in Monopoly?

Classic Rules

In Monopoly, each player starts with $1,500. This is divided as follows: 2 x $500, 4 x $100, 1 x $50, 1 x $20, 2 x $10, 1 x $5 and 5 x $1 bills.

Here’s a photo of the Monopoly rules from my new US Monopoly set…

Older Monopoly Games

If your Monopoly set was made in the United States before September 2008, then you will have a slightly different distribution of money listed in the official rules.

For older Monopoly sets, the money was distributed as 2 x $500, 2 x $100, 2 x $50, 6 x $20, 5 x $10, 5 x $5 and 5 x $1 bills.

It doesn’t matter too much, as however you give out the money, the main thing to concern yourself with is that it adds up to $1,500.

Why did the Monopoly money distribution change in the US?

Before September 2008, US Monopoly games used to have a different Monopoly money distribution, with 27 banknotes used to make up the $1,500 per player starting money. This was then reduced to just 16 notes being needed, as more $100 bills were included in place of the smaller banknotes.

This change made the Monopoly money distribution universal across the globe, bringing the United States in line with the United Kingdom, which has always used just 16 notes for each player at the start of the game.

At the same time, the total amount of money in each Monopoly game was increased from $15,140 to $20,580. In January 2022, this was increased again to a total of $118,660. This change has ended the problem of running out of cash during a game, a frustrating experience that Hasbro had previously addressed by suggesting that people ‘make their own’ cash out of paper.

How much money do you start with in Monopoly UK?

According to the Classic Rules of Monopoly in the UK, each player starts with £1,500. This is divided as follows: 

• 2 x £500 notes
• 4 x £100 notes
• 1 x £50 notes
• 1 x £20 notes
• 2 x £10 notes
• 1 x £5 notes
• 5 x £1 notes

Here’s a photo of the Monopoly rules from my UK Monopoly set…

In each country’s version of Monopoly, players will receive the same amount of starting money in the same denomination of notes. The only difference is that the Monopoly money will be called dollars, pounds, Euros, or whatever the currency is of the country in question. Older versions of Monopoly will have currencies like French Francs or Spanish Pesetas.

If you’re playing Monopoly in Australia, Canada, or anywhere else, the standard amount of money to start the game is always $1500. You can divide this as 2 x $500, 4 x $100, 1 x $50, 1 x $20, 2 x $10, 1 x $5 and 5 x $1 bills.

Speed Die Rules

The Speed Die was introduced to the Standard Edition of Monopoly in 2007 to make the game faster. Speed Die Monopoly has several different rules – one of which is how much money each player starts with.

According to Monopoly Speed Die Rules, each player gets an extra $1,000 at the start. If you’re using the Speed Die, the money to hand out to each player is: 4 x $500s, 4 x $100s, 1 x $50s, 1 x $20s, 2 x $10s, 2 x $5s and 5 x $1s.

Here’s a photo of the Speed Die rules…

How much money do you start with in Monopoly Empire?

In Monopoly Empire, each player starts with $1,000,000 (written as $1000K in the instructions). This is divided into one $500K, four $100Ks, and two $50Ks.

Here’s a photo of the rules from my Monopoly Empire game…

In Monopoly Empire, the K means ‘thousand’. But, there is no K on the banknotes. So you just have to remember that a $100 bill is actually worth $100K, which is equivalent to $100,000.

Suggested read: Monopoly Empire Rules & Instructions

How much money do you start with in Monopoly Junior?

In Monopoly Junior, the amount of money that you start with depends on how many people are playing:

• 2-player game: Each player receives $20
• 3-player game: Each player receives $18
• 4-player game: Each player receives $16

Here’s a photo of the instructions from my Monopoly Junior game…

To make it easy for young kids to understand, the money in Monopoly Junior is all in single $1 banknotes. Older versions of Monopoly Junior that were released before 2013 have $1, $2, $3, $4, and $5 bills.

How much money do you start with in electronic Monopoly?

In Monopoly Electronic Banking Edition no cash is used. Instead, each player receives a banking unit that looks similar to a Chip and Pin machine that you see in shops.

In electronic Monopoly, each player starts with $15 million. To start the game, remove all cards from the unit and hold the ‘C’ button until you hear a beep. Everyone’s balance will be reset to the starting sum of $15 million.

Suggested read: Monopoly Electronic Banking Instructions

How much money do you start with in Monopoly Millionaire?

In Monopoly Millionaire, each player starts with $372,000. This is divided as follows:

• 2 x $100,000
• 2 x $50,000
• 2 x $20,000
• 2 x $10,000
• 2 x $5,000
• 2 x $1,000

Here’s a photo of the starting money according to the Monopoly Millionaire rulebook…

How much money do you start with in Monopoly Here And Now?

The amount of money to start with in Monopoly Here And Now depends on which version of the game you have, and there are several.

In older versions of Monopoly Here & Now, each player starts with $15 million. This is divided as follows:

• 2 x $5,000,000
• 2 x $1,000,000
• 2 x $500,000
• 6 x $200,000
• 5 x $100,000
• 5 x $50,000
• 5 x $10,000

However, in newer versions, the starting money is $1,500, distributed as 2 x $500, 4 x $100 and 5 x $20.

It should be easy to work out which you have by looking at the banknotes that you have available in your set.

There’s also an Electronic Banking Edition of Monopoly Here & Now. In this case, the starting money is $15 million. This is distributed to the cards automatically via the electronic banking machine.

How much money do you start with in Monopoly Cheaters Edition?

In Monopoly Cheaters Edition, each player starts with $1,500. This is divided as follows: 

• 2 x $500s,
• 4 x $100s
• 1 x $50
• 1 x $20
• 3 x $10s

The lowest denomination of banknote in Monopoly Cheaters Edition is $10, unlike classic Monopoly which also has $5 and $1 bills.

How much money do you start with in Monopoly Deluxe Edition?

The money handed out at the start of Monopoly Deluxe Edition is the same as in Classic Monopoly. Each player receives $1,500 in Monopoly cash, divided as follows:

• 2 x $500s
• 2 x $100s
• 2 x $50s
• 6 x $20s
• 5 x $10s
• 1 x $5
• 5 x $1s

How much money do you start with in Monopoly Star Wars?

There are 15 different Star Wars Monopoly games. No matter which game you’re playing each player starts with $1,500. The money may be called Imperial credits, Republic or Galactic credits, depending on which version you have.

In Star Wars Monopoly, money may be divided in one of the following ways depending on the instructions for your set. It doesn’t really matter which you use, since they each add up to $1,500.

How much money do you start with in Disney Monopoly?

Disney Monopoly has the same money breakdown as older versions of Monopoly, instead of the newer breakdown. You still get $1,500, but that’s made up of the following:

• 2 x $500
• 2 x $100
• 2 x $50
• 6 x $20
• 5 x $10
• 5 x $5
• 5 x $1

How much money do you start with in Monopoly Mega Edition?

In Monopoly Mega Edition, every player starts with $2,500, which is $1,000 more than in regular Monopoly. The breakdown is the same as in older versions of Monopoly, but with an added $1,000 bill.

• 1 x $1000
• 2 x $500
• 2 x $100
• 2 x $50
• 6 x $20
• 5 x $10
• 5 x $5
• 5 x $1

How much money do you start with in Pokemon Monopoly?

Pokemon Monopoly uses the classic money Monopoly rules, meaning that each player starts the game with $1,500. This applies to both the Kanto and Johto versions of the game. That’s broken down as:

• 2 x $500
• 2 x $100
• 2 x $50
• 6 x $20
• 5 x $10
• 5 x $5
• 5 x $1

How much money do you start with in Monopoly City?

Monopoly City gives players a much higher starting bank, with a total of $37,700,000. That is broken down into the following:

• 6 x $5,000,000
• 6 x $1,000,000
• 2 x $500,000
• 2 x $200,000
• 2 x $100,000
• 1 x $50,000
• 5 x $10,000

How much money do you start with in Mario Monopoly?

In both Monopoly: Gamer Edition and Monopoly Super Mario Celebration edition, players start the game with just 10 gold coins – 5 single coins and 1 x 5 gold coin. The games use much lower values, with the most expensive properties costing just 5 gold coins.

How much money do you start with in Frozen monopoly? (and junior)

In regular Frozen Monopoly, players start the game with the same money and same note breakdown as in modern classic Monopoly:

• 2 x $500
• 4 x $100
• 1 x $50
• 1 x $20
• 2 x $10
• 1 x $5
• 5 x $1

Monopoly Junior Frozen Edition is even simpler as all of the bank notes are the same, worth just $1. Every player starts with $20. 

How much money do you start with in Australian monopoly?

Australian Monopoly works the same as older games, so players still receive $1,500 as their starting Monopoly cash, broken down as:

• 2 x $500
• 2 x $100
• 2 x $50
• 6 x $20
• 5 x $10
• 5 x $5
• 5 x $1

How much money do you start with in SpongeBob Monopoly?

Monopoly: Spongebob Squarepants Edition uses the same rules as regular Monopoly but with the older breakdown of bank notes:

• 2 x $500
• 2 x $100
• 2 x $50
• 6 x $20
• 5 x $10
• 5 x $5
• 5 x $1

How much money do you start with in Toy Story Monopoly?

In Monopoly: Toy Story Edition, players start the game with $1,500 with the same note breakdown as in modern classic Monopoly. Here’s how to distribute money in Monopoly Toy Story:

• 2 x $500
• 4 x $100
• 1 x $50
• 1 x $20
• 2 x $10
• 1 x $5
• 5 x $1

Alternative Ways Of Playing Monopoly With More Or Less Money

If you wish, you can experiment at playing Monopoly by starting with more or less money than usual, although I wouldn’t recommend this.

If everyone starts a game of Monopoly with more money than $1,500 then the game may last longer than usual as it will be harder to make anyone bankrupt. Interestingly, starting with less than $1,500 can also make the game last longer as more trips past Go are needed to make progress.

How much money comes in Monopoly?

You may be wondering how much Monopoly money is in a box. The answer varies depending on which edition of Monopoly you have and when it was made.

Since January 2022, some sets of Monopoly come with 45 of each bill denomination, making a total of $118,660.

Previously, classic Monopoly board games came with 30 of each banknote, for a total of $20,580. Older versions of Monopoly that were made before 2008 had only $15,140 in total.

The amount of money in a Monopoly set doesn’t actually matter that much. According to the official Monopoly rules, the bank can never ‘go broke’. If the bank runs out of cash, you can make more by writing on pieces of paper to continue the game.

Alternatively, you can print your own Monopoly money pretty easily.

How To Hold Your Monopoly Money

Once you have your money, you may wish to keep it in a stack or to separate the different bills into piles. Each method of holding on to your Monopoly money has its advantages.

Splitting your Monopoly money amount into piles makes it easier to handle and to keep track of how much you have. However, it also makes it easier for other players to see how much you have, which could work to your disadvantage!

The official Monopoly rules do not mention whether or not you are allowed to hide your money, but doing so is generally frowned upon. 

After the cash has been dealt, all of the remaining money goes to the bank. Depending on the version of Monopoly that you have, you may have a plastic banker’s tray in the box with compartments to stack the money vertically.

Monopoly Starting Money FAQs

The Bottom Line

How much money to deal to each player at the start of a Monopoly game depends on which edition of Monopoly you are playing.

In most versions of the board game Monopoly, each player will start with $1,500. The rules state which bills the banker should give out, but this doesn’t matter too much, as long as the total amount is the same.

And then you just need to know what happens when you run out of that money, and also how loans work in Monopoly.

Related posts:

• How to Play Monopoly with Real Money
• How to Start a Monopoly Game
• How Does Monopoly End?