1996 vs 2002
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+19.5%
Median Home
+32.6%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1996 Price | 2002 Price | Change | Hours 1996 | Hours 2002 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.11 | $1.03 | -7% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.88 | $1.02 | +16% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.62 | $2.76 | +5% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.23 | $1.36 | +10% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.37 | $1.71 | +25% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.97 | $1.07 | +10% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.47 | $3.24 | +31% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $2.92 | -15% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.86 | $3.73 | +31% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $4.93 | $6.23 | +27% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.09 | -3% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,975 | $4,081 | +37% | 174.4h | 200.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $19,828 | $22,871 | +15% | 1162.1h | 1121.7h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $510 | $629 | +23% | 29.9h | 30.8h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $37.05 | $40.59 | +10% | 2.2h | 2.0h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1996 to 2002, sorted by magnitude.
174.4h → 200.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
29.9h → 30.8h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1996 to 2002, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
2.2h → 2.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
1162.1h → 1121.7h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1996 ($35,490), you'd need $40,696 in 2002 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (156.9 → 179.9).