1995 vs 2002
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+24.4%
Median Home
+39.4%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1995 Price | 2002 Price | Change | Hours 1995 | Hours 2002 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.92 | $1.03 | +12% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.79 | $1.02 | +28% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.48 | $2.76 | +11% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.15 | $1.36 | +18% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.37 | $1.71 | +25% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.92 | $1.07 | +17% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.99 | $3.24 | +63% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $4.04 | $2.92 | -28% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.65 | $3.73 | +41% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $4.57 | $6.23 | +36% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.09 | -3% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,811 | $4,081 | +45% | 171.6h | 200.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $18,916 | $22,871 | +21% | 1154.5h | 1121.7h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $497 | $629 | +27% | 30.3h | 30.8h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.93 | $40.59 | +16% | 2.1h | 2.0h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1995 to 2002, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
171.6h → 200.2h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
30.3h → 30.8h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1995 to 2002, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
2.1h → 2.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
1154.5h → 1121.7h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1995 ($34,080), you'd need $40,227 in 2002 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (152.4 → 179.9).