1995 vs 2019
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+101.6%
Median Home
+139.9%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1995 Price | 2019 Price | Change | Hours 1995 | Hours 2019 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.92 | $1.40 | +51% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.79 | $1.30 | +64% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.48 | $3.04 | +22% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.15 | $2.64 | +130% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.37 | $3.81 | +178% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.92 | $1.50 | +63% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.99 | $5.61 | +183% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $4.04 | $4.14 | +3% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.65 | $4.81 | +81% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $4.57 | $12.06 | +164% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.14 | +46% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,811 | $9,349 | +233% | 171.6h | 283.1h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $18,916 | $38,723 | +105% | 1154.5h | 1172.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $497 | $1,043 | +110% | 30.3h | 31.6h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.93 | $81.15 | +132% | 2.1h | 2.5h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1995 to 2019, sorted by magnitude.
171.6h → 283.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
2.1h → 2.5h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
30.3h → 31.6h
harder
1154.5h → 1172.4h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1995 to 2019, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1995 ($34,080), you'd need $57,176 in 2019 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (152.4 → 255.7).