1995 vs 2021
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+107.7%
Median Home
+186.9%
Housing Labor
1.4x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1995 Price | 2021 Price | Change | Hours 1995 | Hours 2021 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.92 | $1.67 | +81% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.79 | $1.52 | +93% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.48 | $3.54 | +43% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.15 | $3.05 | +166% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.37 | $4.33 | +216% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.92 | $1.53 | +67% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.99 | $6.64 | +234% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $4.04 | $4.71 | +17% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.65 | $4.89 | +84% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $4.57 | $13.19 | +189% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.14 | +50% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,811 | $9,375 | +234% | 171.6h | 275.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $18,916 | $42,258 | +123% | 1154.5h | 1241.8h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $497 | $1,100 | +121% | 30.3h | 32.3h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.93 | $92.47 | +165% | 2.1h | 2.7h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1995 to 2021, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
171.6h → 275.5h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.1h → 2.7h
harder
1154.5h → 1241.8h
harder
30.3h → 32.3h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1995 to 2021, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1995 ($34,080), you'd need $60,601 in 2021 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (152.4 → 271.0).