Frostpunk 2 has fewer resources than the first game, but they depend on each other more. Almost every district that makes something also takes Materials to run. Plan your Materials and the rest of the city follows. Short on Materials, every other chain stalls with it. This guide walks through each chain with the numbers the district calculator uses.
What each district makes and eats
| District | Output (base / expanded) | Workforce | Materials upkeep | Build cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Food District | 60 / 80 Food | 600 | 50 | 40 HS / 200 PF |
 Industrial District (Goods) | 20 / 30 Goods | 600 | 50 | 40 HS / 100 PF |
 Extraction District (Coal) | 120 / 150 Coal | 600 | 50 | 40 HS / 150 PF |
| Extraction District (Materials) | 150 / 190 Materials | 600 | 50 | 40 HS / 150 PF |
HS = Heatstamps, PF = Prefabs. Expanding a district costs 50 Heatstamps and 50 Prefabs, adds 3 tiles and a second building slot, and raises output without raising Workforce or upkeep. A new base Food district costs 40 Heatstamps and 200 Prefabs for 60 Food, and then needs 600 Workforce and 50 Materials for as long as it runs. Expanding one costs 50 and 50 for 20 more Food and needs nothing extra to run. Per unit of output, expansion costs more to build but nothing extra to keep running.
The Materials chain comes first
A base Materials district makes 150 but pays 50 of that as its own upkeep, so it nets 100. That covers exactly two other base districts at 50 each. Expanded, it nets 140, enough for two districts with some left over for buildings that also eat Materials.
So, as a rule of thumb: for every two Food, Industrial or Coal districts you build, plan one Materials district. Three base Food districts make 180 Food and eat 150 Materials. Two base Materials districts net 200, so the full chain is five districts and 3,000 Workforce for 180 Food. Expand the three Food districts instead and you get 240 Food from the same five districts, the same Workforce and the same upkeep.
Buildings change the ratio. Sawmills and Foundries add Materials with no Materials upkeep of their own: a 
Blast Foundry adds 250 for 300 Workforce. One expanded Materials district with a Blast Foundry nets 190 + 250 − 50 = 390, enough for seven plain districts. When Workforce is tight, that is the cheapest Materials in the game. See the buildings table for every option.
How many Food districts per shortfall
Divide the shortfall by 60 for base districts or 80 for expanded ones, and round up. A shortfall of 100 is two base districts (120) or two expanded (160). One expanded district with a Drum Hothouse covers it with less land: 80 + 60 = 140 Food, though the Hothouse adds 400 Workforce. Hothouses use no Materials, which makes them a better way to add Food than another district when Materials are tight.
Worked example: you are 150 Food short with 1,500 free Workforce. Two base Food districts plus one Materials district cost 1,800 Workforce, so that plan does not fit. One expanded Food district with two Drum Hothouses makes 80 + 120 = 200 Food for 600 + 800 = 1,400 Workforce and only 50 Materials, which the surplus of an existing Materials district may already cover. It fits, with Food to spare.
Goods are the expensive chain
A base Industrial district makes only 20 Goods for 600 Workforce and 50 Materials, which is 30 Workforce per Goods. Expansion lifts it to 30 Goods, a 50% jump. That is the largest percentage gain of the four districts in this table. Goods factories change the picture further. The Refurbishing Goods Factory adds 60 Goods for 400 Workforce and 30 Materials. The Calibrated Goods Factory adds 60 Goods for 300 Workforce but takes 70 Materials. If Workforce is your limit, pick Calibrated. If Materials is, pick Refurbishing.
Goods matter more than their small numbers suggest. The population buys them, and the wiki ties your weekly Heatstamp income to Goods consumed. A Goods shortage also raises Crime. The Heatstamps guide covers that side.
Coal and the Generator
A Coal district makes 120, or 150 expanded. A Dust Coal Mine adds 150 for only 20 extra Materials. A Blasting Coal Mine adds 180 but takes 60 Materials. Coal turns into heat levels at the Generator, so plan Coal together with the heat planner: every district you warm for free with insulation or warm neighbours is Coal you do not have to mine.
Placement rules that cost you
A Food district next to an Industrial, Extraction or Logistics district raises Disease. An Industrial or Extraction district next to Housing raises Squalor. Keep Food and Housing together, and keep heavy industry on its own side of the crater. Deposits run out. When one does, the district shuts down until you adjust its area onto a new deposit, which costs 50 Heatstamps and 50 Prefabs. The district layout guide goes through placement in detail.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my Food dropping when I did not touch my Food districts?
Usually Materials. Food Districts need 50 Materials of upkeep each. If Materials run dry, districts start shutting down and Food is often the first shortage you notice. Check the Materials balance before you build another Food District.
Is it better to expand a district or build a new one?
Expand first. For 50 Heatstamps and 50 Prefabs you get more output and a second building slot with no extra Workforce or Materials. A new district costs 40 Heatstamps and 100 to 200 Prefabs, then 600 Workforce and 50 Materials for as long as it runs.
How many Materials districts do I need?
One base Materials district for every two other base production districts. If you build Materials buildings such as Sawmills or Foundries, one can support far more.
What is the best Hothouse?
Early on, the Drum Hothouse: 60 Food for 400 Workforce with no side effect. Later, the Advanced Biowaste Hothouse makes 100 Food for the same Workforce if you can spare a Core and handle more Disease.
Do Hothouses need Materials?
No. All five Hothouses in the buildings table have zero Materials upkeep, which is why they are the best way to add Food when Materials are tight.
A note on version
District stats here come from the Game Vault wiki and building stats from Neoseeker's lists, recorded at launch-era versions. The game is now on 1.6.1. Difficulty, laws and area traits move the real numbers, so confirm in the district panel before committing Heatstamps.