1994 vs 2022
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+131.2%
Median Home
+232.0%
Housing Labor
1.4x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1994 Price | 2022 Price | Change | Hours 1994 | Hours 2022 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.86 | $2.86 | +231% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.76 | $1.70 | +124% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.11 | $4.09 | +268% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.48 | $4.81 | +226% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.90 | $1.80 | +100% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.99 | $7.31 | +267% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.40 | $5.89 | +73% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.63 | $5.43 | +107% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.16 | +72% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,681 | $9,750 | +264% | 172.9h | 271.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $18,657 | $48,008 | +157% | 1202.9h | 1338.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $485 | $1,166 | +140% | 31.3h | 32.5h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.37 | $121 | +253% | 2.2h | 3.4h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1994 to 2022, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
172.9h → 271.9h
harder
2.2h → 3.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1202.9h → 1338.9h
harder
31.3h → 32.5h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1994 to 2022, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1994 ($32,260), you'd need $63,688 in 2022 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (148.2 → 292.6).