1994 vs 2005
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+43.6%
Median Home
+81.4%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1994 Price | 2005 Price | Change | Hours 1994 | Hours 2005 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.86 | $1.22 | +41% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.76 | $1.04 | +37% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.11 | $2.30 | +106% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.48 | $2.30 | +55% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.90 | $1.06 | +17% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.99 | $3.39 | +70% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.40 | $3.26 | -4% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.63 | $3.74 | +43% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.10 | +9% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,681 | $5,351 | +100% | 172.9h | 240.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $18,657 | $25,164 | +35% | 1202.9h | 1129.7h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $485 | $685 | +41% | 31.3h | 30.7h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.37 | $68.19 | +98% | 2.2h | 3.1h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1994 to 2005, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
172.9h → 240.2h
harder
2.2h → 3.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1994 to 2005, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
1202.9h → 1129.7h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
31.3h → 30.7h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1994 ($32,260), you'd need $42,498 in 2005 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (148.2 → 195.3).