1994 vs 2003
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+34.3%
Median Home
+47.3%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1994 Price | 2003 Price | Change | Hours 1994 | Hours 2003 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.86 | $1.24 | +44% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.76 | $1.00 | +32% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.11 | $1.59 | +43% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.48 | $1.95 | +32% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.90 | $1.03 | +15% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.99 | $3.20 | +61% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.40 | $2.92 | -14% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.63 | $3.81 | +45% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.09 | +1% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,681 | $4,587 | +71% | 172.9h | 220.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $18,657 | $23,282 | +25% | 1202.9h | 1117.9h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $485 | $647 | +33% | 31.3h | 31.1h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.37 | $47.43 | +38% | 2.2h | 2.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1994 to 2003, sorted by magnitude.
172.9h → 220.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.2h → 2.3h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1994 to 2003, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
1202.9h → 1117.9h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
31.3h → 31.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1994 ($32,260), you'd need $40,046 in 2003 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (148.2 → 184.0).