1994 vs 2002
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+31.5%
Median Home
+42.6%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1994 Price | 2002 Price | Change | Hours 1994 | Hours 2002 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.86 | $1.03 | +20% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.76 | $1.02 | +34% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.11 | $1.36 | +22% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.48 | $1.71 | +16% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.90 | $1.07 | +19% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.99 | $3.24 | +63% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.40 | $2.92 | -14% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.63 | $3.73 | +42% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.09 | -1% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,681 | $4,081 | +52% | 172.9h | 200.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $18,657 | $22,871 | +23% | 1202.9h | 1121.7h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $485 | $629 | +30% | 31.3h | 30.8h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.37 | $40.59 | +18% | 2.2h | 2.0h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1994 to 2002, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
172.9h → 200.2h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1994 to 2002, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
2.2h → 2.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
1202.9h → 1121.7h
easier
31.3h → 30.8h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1994 ($32,260), you'd need $39,147 in 2002 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (148.2 → 179.9).