1993 vs 2004
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+41.9%
Median Home
+72.5%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1993 Price | 2004 Price | Change | Hours 1993 | Hours 2004 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.91 | $1.34 | +47% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.75 | $0.97 | +29% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.11 | $1.88 | +70% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.57 | $2.16 | +38% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.89 | $1.07 | +20% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.93 | $3.38 | +75% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.47 | $2.85 | +15% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.53 | $3.84 | +51% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.09 | +3% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,537 | $5,027 | +98% | 168.9h | 235.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $17,677 | $23,686 | +34% | 1177.0h | 1111.4h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $474 | $665 | +40% | 31.5h | 31.2h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.24 | $55.93 | +63% | 2.3h | 2.6h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1993 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
168.9h → 235.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.3h → 2.6h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1993 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
1177.0h → 1111.4h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
31.5h → 31.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1993 ($31,240), you'd need $40,848 in 2004 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (144.5 → 188.9).