Is Gold Better Than Paintings in Cayo Perico?

Without a doubt, gold is far superior to paintings as a secondary target in the Cayo Perico heist. While paintings can provide a moderate boost in payouts, gold simply offers exponentially higher value, especially for solo players. This guide will provide a detailed breakdown of gold vs. paintings in Cayo Perico to help you maximize your take.

A Quick Overview

Before diving into the details, here‘s a quick rundown:

• Gold can be worth over $600,000 for solo players, thanks to the ability to grab multiple stacks of bars.

• Paintings cap out around $200,000 in value, with significant variability.

• With more players, the value gap widens even further in gold‘s favor.

• Gold remains highly efficient to collect solo or in teams.

• Though paintings are easier to grab, their low payouts make gold far superior.

In every scenario, gold simply provides exponentially more cash, making it the clear winner for secondary looting in Cayo Perico heists.

Painting Payouts and Value Factors

Now let‘s take a closer look at what impacts the value of paintings as secondary targets:

• Paintings spawn randomly in El Rubio‘s office, with either 1 or 2 available per heist.

• The individual painting value ranges from around $90,000 to $160,000 each.

• Higher valued artists like De Silva boost the payouts compared to generic paintings.

• On hard difficulty, paintings are worth 10% more than on normal.

• With 2 paintings, the maximum possible value is $199,700. But it can also be as low as $176,200 depending on the type.

As you can see, paintings provide highly variable payouts, ranging from mediocre to moderately good. But that max value is still a small fraction of what gold can bring in.

Factors That Determine Gold Value

Now let‘s examine gold and what dictates its higher payout potential:

• 3-5 stacks of gold bars can spawn in the compound basement.

• Each stack contains 5 gold bars worth ~$33k each, so around $165,000 per stack.

• Solo players can grab up to 4 stacks for $660,000 total.

• With 2+ players, you can collect 6+ stacks for over $990k.

• On hard, gold stacks are worth 10% more too.

As you can see, the number of stacks you acquire is the key factor, and that potential is far higher than paintings.

Average Payout Per Player

Here is an overview of the average secondary loot payout per player:

Gold‘s advantage is massive, especially in solo runs. This table makes it clear that it leaves paintings far behind in value.

Is It Better to Take Both?

Technically you can grab paintings plus gold in one heist run. However, it is smarter to just focus on collecting as much gold as possible. Here is why:

• The 1-2 extra minutes to grab paintings can slow your escape.

• Paintings only add $100k-200k over just taking gold stacks.

• The marginal value isn‘t worth the extra effort and time.

Unless paintings are along your ideal exit path, skip them and devote your bag space to more valuable gold.

Gold Collection Tips and Strategies

Grabbing all the gold in the basement can be tricky without strategy, so here are some pro tips:

• Scout the basement guards‘ cones of vision beforehand.

• Use silenced headshots to take them out quickly.

• Enter from the north stairs to access the inner gold rooms.

• Leave compound via the main gate for the shortest escape.

• Have your getaway vehicle waiting right outside the gate.

With practice, you can loot all of the gold solo in just 2-3 minutes safely. It just takes some optimal routing and execution. Paintings may be quicker to grab, but gold‘s value outweighs any difference in speed.

The Verdict: Gold is Far Superior to Paintings

While paintings can provide a small boost in payout, gold simply dominates as the best secondary target in Cayo Perico heists thanks to its exponentially higher potential value. Especially during solo runs, you should always pick gold over paintings for the biggest payout. Just be sure to map an efficient strategy for grabbing all of the gold stacks in the basement, and you‘ll have by far the most lucrative outcome. Feel free to take a painting along the way if convenient, but focus on filling your bag with those precious bars!