Money is an integral element in the Grand Theft Auto series, with its importance varying game by game. It is a statistic primarily represented by a counter on the player's HUD as the amount of money in hand. Missions are often emphasized as a reliable source of income, but the player may resort to other means of obtaining money in the game.

In early GTA games, money is emphasized as the key to unlocking new areas in the game, but it may also be used in various other activities. The formula was dramatically modified after Grand Theft Auto III, when money was only important for specific missions as the completion of missions unlocks new area instead; the former was removed entirely after Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Since GTA III, the primary use of money is to purchase of items and services, such as Health, Body Armor, clothing, and Weapons. Money is also needed for respraying and/or repairing vehicles at a spray shop.

As the vast majority of settings in the series takes place in the United States of America, the currency unit of money is the dollar. The London add-on packs for GTA 1 (Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 and Grand Theft Auto: London 1961) are exceptions; as the games are set in the United Kingdom, the pound symbol substitutes the dollar symbol.