1996 vs 1997
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+4.3%
Median Home
+3.4%
Housing Labor
1.0x easier
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1996 Price | 1997 Price | Change | Hours 1996 | Hours 1997 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.11 | $1.06 | -4% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.88 | $0.87 | -0% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.62 | $2.61 | -0% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.23 | $1.23 | +0% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.37 | $1.40 | +2% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.97 | $1.00 | +3% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.47 | $2.68 | +8% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $4.11 | +20% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.86 | $2.92 | +2% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $4.93 | $5.17 | +5% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.09 | +0% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,975 | $3,111 | +5% | 174.4h | 174.8h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $19,828 | $20,276 | +2% | 1162.1h | 1139.5h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $510 | $525 | +3% | 29.9h | 29.5h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $37.05 | $37.03 | -0% | 2.2h | 2.1h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1996 to 1997, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
174.4h → 174.8h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1996 to 1997, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
2.2h → 2.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
1162.1h → 1139.5h
easier
29.9h → 29.5h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1996 ($35,490), you'd need $36,320 in 1997 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (156.9 → 160.5).