1992 vs 2004
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+44.7%
Median Home
+79.7%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1992 Price | 2004 Price | Change | Hours 1992 | Hours 2004 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.86 | $1.34 | +56% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.75 | $0.97 | +29% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.13 | $1.88 | +67% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.54 | $2.16 | +40% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.87 | $1.07 | +23% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.92 | $3.38 | +76% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $2.85 | +11% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.58 | $3.84 | +49% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.09 | +7% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,349 | $5,027 | +114% | 159.5h | 235.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $17,109 | $23,686 | +38% | 1161.4h | 1111.4h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $463 | $665 | +44% | 31.4h | 31.2h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.64 | $55.93 | +61% | 2.4h | 2.6h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1992 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
159.5h → 235.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.4h → 2.6h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1992 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
1161.4h → 1111.4h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
31.4h → 31.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1992 ($30,640), you'd need $41,253 in 2004 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (140.3 → 188.9).