1995 vs 2004
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+30.1%
Median Home
+63.4%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1995 Price | 2004 Price | Change | Hours 1995 | Hours 2004 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.92 | $1.34 | +45% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.79 | $0.97 | +23% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.48 | $3.16 | +27% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.15 | $1.88 | +64% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.37 | $2.16 | +58% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.92 | $1.07 | +17% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.99 | $3.38 | +70% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $4.04 | $2.85 | -29% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.65 | $3.84 | +45% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $4.57 | $6.92 | +52% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.09 | +1% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,811 | $5,027 | +79% | 171.6h | 235.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $18,916 | $23,686 | +25% | 1154.5h | 1111.4h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $497 | $665 | +34% | 30.3h | 31.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.93 | $55.93 | +60% | 2.1h | 2.6h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1995 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
171.6h → 235.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.1h → 2.6h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
30.3h → 31.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1995 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1995 ($34,080), you'd need $42,249 in 2004 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (152.4 → 188.9).