1996 vs 2000
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+18.3%
Median Home
+19.5%
Housing Labor
1.0x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1996 Price | 2000 Price | Change | Hours 1996 | Hours 2000 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.11 | $0.91 | -17% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.88 | $0.93 | +6% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.62 | $2.78 | +6% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.23 | $1.51 | +23% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.37 | $1.57 | +15% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.97 | $1.07 | +10% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.47 | $3.03 | +23% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $3.45 | +1% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.86 | $3.45 | +20% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $4.93 | $5.41 | +10% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.09 | -7% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,975 | $3,501 | +18% | 174.4h | 173.4h | Easier |
| 🚗 New Car | $19,828 | $21,850 | +10% | 1162.1h | 1082.4h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $510 | $579 | +14% | 29.9h | 28.7h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $37.05 | $44.99 | +21% | 2.2h | 2.2h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1996 to 2000, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
2.2h → 2.2h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1996 to 2000, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.3h → 0.3h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
1162.1h → 1082.4h
easier
29.9h → 28.7h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
174.4h → 173.4h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1996 ($35,490), you'd need $38,959 in 2000 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (156.9 → 172.2).