1996 vs 2008
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+41.7%
Median Home
+63.7%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1996 Price | 2008 Price | Change | Hours 1996 | Hours 2008 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.11 | $1.99 | +80% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.88 | $1.37 | +56% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.62 | $3.80 | +45% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.23 | $3.27 | +165% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.37 | $2.34 | +71% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.97 | $1.21 | +24% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.47 | $3.66 | +48% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.86 | $4.21 | +47% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $4.93 | $9.45 | +92% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.12 | +31% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,975 | $6,185 | +108% | 174.4h | 255.8h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $19,828 | $27,291 | +38% | 1162.1h | 1128.5h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $510 | $766 | +50% | 29.9h | 31.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $37.05 | $96.75 | +161% | 2.2h | 4.0h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1996 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.2h → 4.0h
harder
174.4h → 255.8h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
29.9h → 31.7h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1996 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
1162.1h → 1128.5h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1996 ($35,490), you'd need $48,702 in 2008 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (156.9 → 215.3).