1996 vs 2009
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+40.3%
Median Home
+53.8%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1996 Price | 2009 Price | Change | Hours 1996 | Hours 2009 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.11 | $1.66 | +50% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.88 | $1.39 | +58% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.62 | $3.11 | +19% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.23 | $2.35 | +91% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.37 | $2.22 | +62% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.97 | $1.28 | +31% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.47 | $3.61 | +46% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $3.67 | +7% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.86 | $4.32 | +51% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $4.93 | $10.07 | +105% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.13 | +35% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,975 | $6,695 | +125% | 174.4h | 279.7h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $19,828 | $28,400 | +43% | 1162.1h | 1186.7h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $510 | $784 | +54% | 29.9h | 32.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $37.05 | $70.76 | +91% | 2.2h | 3.0h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1996 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
174.4h → 279.7h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
2.2h → 3.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
29.9h → 32.7h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
1162.1h → 1186.7h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1996 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1996 ($35,490), you'd need $48,546 in 2009 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (156.9 → 214.6).