1991 vs 2004
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+47.1%
Median Home
+81.8%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1991 Price | 2004 Price | Change | Hours 1991 | Hours 2004 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.99 | $1.34 | +35% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.71 | $0.97 | +37% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.14 | $1.88 | +65% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.60 | $2.16 | +35% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.88 | $1.07 | +21% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.22 | $3.38 | +52% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.81 | $2.85 | +1% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.58 | $3.84 | +49% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.09 | +9% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,107 | $5,027 | +139% | 145.5h | 235.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $16,362 | $23,686 | +45% | 1129.5h | 1111.4h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $451 | $665 | +47% | 31.2h | 31.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.74 | $55.93 | +61% | 2.4h | 2.6h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1991 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
145.5h → 235.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.4h → 2.6h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
31.2h → 31.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1991 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
1129.5h → 1111.4h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1991 ($30,130), you'd need $41,800 in 2004 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (136.2 → 188.9).