The Cocaine Lockup is one of the five MC Businesses in GTA Online and is widely considered the most profitable of the bunch. Whether you are just getting started with Biker Businesses or looking to squeeze every dollar out of your criminal empire, the Lockup deserves a serious look. Here is a full breakdown of locations, upgrades, payouts, and whether it is actually worth the investment.
What Is the GTA Online Cocaine Lockup?
The Cocaine Lockup is an MC Business available after becoming a Motorcycle Club President through the laptop in your Clubhouse. Like other Biker Businesses, it produces and stockpiles products over time. You then sell that product to earn GTA$. The Lockup generates the highest profit margin of all five MC Businesses, which makes it a staple in most money-making setups.
To run it, you need to either buy supplies ($15,000 per unit, up to $75,000 to fill the bar) or steal them through Supply Missions at no cost. Once supplies are in, production runs passively while you handle other activities.
Best Cocaine Lockup Location
image source: gta.fandom.com
There are four Cocaine Lockup locations. The location does not affect productivity or profitability, only price and convenience during sell and supply runs.
|
Location |
Price |
|
Alamo Sea |
$975,000 |
|
Paleto Bay |
$1,098,000 |
|
Elysian Island |
$1,462,500 |
|
Morningwood |
$1,852,500 |
The Alamo Sea location is widely recommended as the best pick. It costs half the price of Morningwood while sitting in a central map position between Los Santos and Paleto Bay. It is also close to the cheapest Meth Lab (Grand Senora Desert) and the cheapest Clubhouse, letting you manage multiple MC Businesses in one area and run sell missions back to back without crossing the entire map.
Morningwood suits players who manage everything from the city and want shorter delivery distances into Los Santos, but the nearly double price tag makes it a harder sell for players still building capital.
Upgrades: What to Buy and in What Order
Upgrades are what separate a barely profitable Lockup from a genuine money printer. Access them through the laptop inside your Lockup.
|
Upgrade |
Cost |
Effect |
|
Equipment Upgrade |
$935,000 |
Speeds up production, increases product value, and makes supplies stretch further |
|
Staff Upgrade |
$390,000 |
Speeds up production, increases product value |
|
Security Upgrade |
$570,000 |
Reduces the chance of police raids and enemy attacks |
Buy the equipment first. It is the single most impactful upgrade, improving both production speed and supply efficiency. Staff second. Together, these two upgrades push your unit profit from $20,000 to $28,000 and cut production time from 50 minutes per unit to 30 minutes.
Security is optional. Raids are relatively rare, and you can avoid them entirely by not registering as MC President while the product is cooking. Most players skip this upgrade.
Cocaine Lockup Payout: How Much Can You Make?
image source: gta.fandom.com
Here are the payout numbers based on upgrade status, with product sold at a remote (far) location and supplies stolen:
|
Upgrades |
Unit Profit |
Minutes Per Unit |
Sell Local |
Sell Remote |
Profit/Hour |
|
No Upgrades |
$20,000 |
50 |
$200,000 |
$300,000 |
$25,000 |
|
Equipment Only |
$24,000 |
40 |
$240,000 |
$360,000 |
$30,000 |
|
Staff Only |
$24,000 |
40 |
$240,000 |
$360,000 |
$30,000 |
|
Equipment + Staff |
$28,000 |
30 |
$280,000 |
$420,000 |
$35,000 |
|
All Three |
$28,000 |
30 |
$280,000 |
$420,000 |
$35,000 |
Full stock takes about 5 hours to accumulate and requires 2.5 resupply cycles ($187,500 total if buying supplies). The base sell remote value with full upgrades is $420,000 per full stock sale. In public lobbies with the high-demand bonus (up to 20%+ with enough players in the session), that number can reach approximately $525,500.
Most experienced players sell before hitting full stock when playing solo. More product means more delivery vehicles and tighter time limits. Selling at around 50-75% capacity keeps deliveries manageable with a single vehicle.
Is the Cocaine Lockup Worth It?
image source: gta.fandom.com
Yes, with a caveat: go all-in on the Equipment and Staff upgrades. Without them, the margins are thin and the time investment feels hollow. With both upgrades active, the Lockup becomes one of the better passive income sources in the game.
Total cost to get fully operational with the Alamo Sea location:
|
Item |
Cost |
|
Alamo Sea Location |
$975,000 |
|
Equipment Upgrade |
$935,000 |
|
Staff Upgrade |
$390,000 |
|
Total |
$2,300,000 |
At $420,000 per full-stock remote sale (stealing supplies), you can earn that investment back in roughly 27 hours of production time. From there, it is pure profit.
If you are building toward your first big score, consider completing the Cayo Perico Heist first to generate startup capital before investing in a Lockup. You can also manage the Lockup through a Nightclub (assign a Technician to Cocaine) or the Master Control Terminal in your Arcade for an even more hands-off experience.
Tips to Maximize Cocaine Lockup Profits
Always sell remote. The payout difference between local and remote is significant ($280,000 vs $420,000 with full upgrades).
Steal supplies or buy strategically. Stealing eliminates overhead entirely, though supply missions take time. Buying supplies ($75,000 to fill) and running quick VIP Work like Sightseer or Headhunter to cover the cost is a common time-efficient alternative.
Sell in public or solo public lobbies for the high-demand bonus. If you are worried about griefers, close the game immediately if a delivery vehicle is destroyed to preserve most of your stock.
Stay off MC President registration when you are not actively managing the business. This prevents raids from triggering while product accumulates.
Pair the Lockup with a Bunker for a strong dual passive income setup during long sessions.
Stay Fueled Through the Grind
Long sessions managing supplies, running sell missions, and stacking passive income take sustained focus. G FUEL's Energy Formula keeps you locked in without the crash. Check out the full ingredient breakdown on the Inside the Formula page.
Nuka Cola 2.0 -- Tropical Citrus Berry Formula 2.0 tub. 140mg caffeine, zero sugar, 40 servings at $38.99. Rated 4.4/5 (113 reviews).
Murdercorn -- Sour Rainbow Candy Formula 2.0 tub. 140mg caffeine, zero sugar, 40 servings at $35.99. Rated 4.9/5 (11 reviews).
Sour Gummy Worms -- Sour gummy candy Formula 2.0 tub. 140mg caffeine, zero sugar, 40 servings.
Nuke Pop -- Cherry, lime, blue raspberry popsicle Formula 2.0 tub. 140mg caffeine, zero sugar, 40 servings.
G FUEL Energy Cans offer grab-and-go convenience with zero sugar. G FUEL Hydration Formula delivers caffeine-free electrolytes with zero calories.
EXPLORE THE G FUEL LINEUP
Murdercorn | Sour Gummy Worms | Nuke Pop | Sour Chug 2.0 | PewDiePie 2.0 | The Juice 2.0
FRESH ARRIVALS JUST DROPPED
Hype Sauce 2.0 | Miami Nights 2.0 | Nuka Cola 2.0 | Berry Bomb
Gear Up: Stainless Steel Shakers
Hydration Steel Sipper -- 18 oz insulated stainless steel bottle. $21.99. Rated 4.8/5 (13 reviews). Hand wash only.
My Hero Academia Stainless Steel Shaker -- 24 oz stainless steel shaker cup. $28.99. Rated 4.7/5 (41 reviews). Hand wash only.
Browse the full collection at gfuel.com/collections/stainless-steel.
FAQs
1. How much does the Cocaine Lockup cost in GTA Online?
Prices range from $975,000 (Alamo Sea) to $1,852,500 (Morningwood). With Equipment and Staff upgrades at the Alamo Sea location, the total setup runs approximately $2,300,000.
2. What is the max payout for the Cocaine Lockup?
A fully upgraded Lockup selling remote earns $420,000 per full stock sale. In public lobbies with the high-demand bonus, which can reach approximately $525,500. Fully upgraded hourly rate is $35,000/hour.
3. Do I need all three upgrades?
Equipment and Staff are essential. Security is optional since raids are uncommon and avoidable by not registering as the MC President while product cooking.
4. Can I run the Cocaine Lockup solo?
Yes. Production runs passively. Selling solo gets complicated at high stock levels due to multiple delivery vehicles, so selling at 50-75% capacity keeps things manageable.
5. What is the best location for the Cocaine Lockup?
Alamo Sea ($975,000) is the best overall pick for value, central map position, and proximity to other MC Businesses. Morningwood ($1,852,500) suits city-based players but costs nearly double.