1995 vs 2003
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+27.1%
Median Home
+43.9%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1995 Price | 2003 Price | Change | Hours 1995 | Hours 2003 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.92 | $1.24 | +35% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.79 | $1.00 | +26% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.48 | $2.76 | +11% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.15 | $1.59 | +39% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.37 | $1.95 | +42% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.92 | $1.03 | +13% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.99 | $3.20 | +61% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $4.04 | $2.92 | -28% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.65 | $3.81 | +44% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $4.57 | $6.39 | +40% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.09 | -1% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,811 | $4,587 | +63% | 171.6h | 220.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $18,916 | $23,282 | +23% | 1154.5h | 1117.9h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $497 | $647 | +30% | 30.3h | 31.1h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.93 | $47.43 | +36% | 2.1h | 2.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1995 to 2003, sorted by magnitude.
171.6h → 220.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.1h → 2.3h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
30.3h → 31.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1995 to 2003, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1995 ($34,080), you'd need $41,151 in 2003 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (152.4 → 184.0).