1996 vs 2020
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+91.6%
Median Home
+134.0%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1996 Price | 2020 Price | Change | Hours 1996 | Hours 2020 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.11 | $1.51 | +36% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.88 | $1.45 | +66% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.62 | $3.32 | +27% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.23 | $2.17 | +77% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.37 | $4.12 | +201% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.97 | $1.56 | +61% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.47 | $5.58 | +126% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $4.43 | +29% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.86 | $4.92 | +72% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $4.93 | $12.42 | +152% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.14 | +44% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,975 | $9,349 | +214% | 174.4h | 285.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $19,828 | $40,107 | +102% | 1162.1h | 1226.6h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $510 | $1,076 | +111% | 29.9h | 32.9h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $37.05 | $68.24 | +84% | 2.2h | 2.1h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1996 to 2020, sorted by magnitude.
174.4h → 285.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
29.9h → 32.9h
harder
1162.1h → 1226.6h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1996 to 2020, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
2.2h → 2.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1996 ($35,490), you'd need $58,567 in 2020 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (156.9 → 258.9).