1995 vs 2018
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+85.4%
Median Home
+143.7%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1995 Price | 2018 Price | Change | Hours 1995 | Hours 2018 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.92 | $1.74 | +88% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.79 | $1.29 | +63% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.48 | $2.90 | +17% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.15 | $2.74 | +138% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.37 | $3.72 | +171% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.92 | $1.50 | +63% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.99 | $5.47 | +175% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $4.04 | $4.30 | +7% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.65 | $4.74 | +79% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $4.57 | $12.46 | +173% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.14 | +46% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,811 | $9,212 | +228% | 171.6h | 303.3h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $18,916 | $37,577 | +99% | 1154.5h | 1237.1h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $497 | $1,006 | +102% | 30.3h | 33.1h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.93 | $84.16 | +141% | 2.1h | 2.8h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1995 to 2018, sorted by magnitude.
171.6h → 303.3h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.1h → 2.8h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
30.3h → 33.1h
harder
1154.5h → 1237.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1995 to 2018, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1995 ($34,080), you'd need $56,158 in 2018 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (152.4 → 251.1).