1995 vs 2009
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+46.1%
Median Home
+61.6%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1995 Price | 2009 Price | Change | Hours 1995 | Hours 2009 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.92 | $1.66 | +80% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.79 | $1.39 | +75% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.48 | $3.11 | +25% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.15 | $2.35 | +105% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.37 | $2.22 | +62% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.92 | $1.28 | +39% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.99 | $3.61 | +82% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $4.04 | $3.67 | -9% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.65 | $4.32 | +63% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $4.57 | $10.07 | +121% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.13 | +36% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,811 | $6,695 | +138% | 171.6h | 279.7h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $18,916 | $28,400 | +50% | 1154.5h | 1186.7h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $497 | $784 | +58% | 30.3h | 32.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.93 | $70.76 | +103% | 2.1h | 3.0h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1995 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
171.6h → 279.7h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.1h → 3.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
30.3h → 32.7h
harder
1154.5h → 1186.7h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1995 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1995 ($34,080), you'd need $47,987 in 2009 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (152.4 → 214.6).