1996 vs 2001
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+19.0%
Median Home
+23.4%
Housing Labor
1.0x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1996 Price | 2001 Price | Change | Hours 1996 | Hours 2001 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.11 | $0.93 | -16% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.88 | $1.00 | +14% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.62 | $2.88 | +10% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.23 | $1.46 | +19% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.37 | $1.71 | +25% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.97 | $1.11 | +14% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.47 | $3.25 | +32% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $3.09 | -10% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.86 | $3.70 | +29% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $4.93 | $5.96 | +21% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.09 | -2% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,975 | $3,735 | +26% | 174.4h | 184.0h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $19,828 | $22,457 | +13% | 1162.1h | 1106.1h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $510 | $605 | +19% | 29.9h | 29.8h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $37.05 | $43.32 | +17% | 2.2h | 2.1h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1996 to 2001, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
174.4h → 184.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1996 to 2001, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
1162.1h → 1106.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
2.2h → 2.1h
easier
29.9h → 29.8h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1996 ($35,490), you'd need $40,057 in 2001 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (156.9 → 177.0).