1994 vs 2004
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+37.4%
Median Home
+67.3%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1994 Price | 2004 Price | Change | Hours 1994 | Hours 2004 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.86 | $1.34 | +55% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.76 | $0.97 | +27% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.11 | $1.88 | +69% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.48 | $2.16 | +46% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.90 | $1.07 | +19% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.99 | $3.38 | +70% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.40 | $2.85 | -16% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.63 | $3.84 | +46% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.09 | +3% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,681 | $5,027 | +88% | 172.9h | 235.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $18,657 | $23,686 | +27% | 1202.9h | 1111.4h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $485 | $665 | +37% | 31.3h | 31.2h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.37 | $55.93 | +63% | 2.2h | 2.6h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1994 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
172.9h → 235.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.2h → 2.6h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1994 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
1202.9h → 1111.4h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
31.3h → 31.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1994 ($32,260), you'd need $41,114 in 2004 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (148.2 → 188.9).