1997 vs 2000
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+13.5%
Median Home
+15.6%
Housing Labor
1.0x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1997 Price | 2000 Price | Change | Hours 1997 | Hours 2000 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.06 | $0.91 | -14% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.87 | $0.93 | +7% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.61 | $2.78 | +6% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.23 | $1.51 | +22% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.40 | $1.57 | +12% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.00 | $1.07 | +7% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.68 | $3.03 | +13% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $4.11 | $3.45 | -16% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.92 | $3.45 | +18% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.17 | $5.41 | +5% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.09 | -8% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,111 | $3,501 | +13% | 174.8h | 173.4h | Easier |
| 🚗 New Car | $20,276 | $21,850 | +8% | 1139.5h | 1082.4h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $525 | $579 | +10% | 29.5h | 28.7h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $37.03 | $44.99 | +21% | 2.1h | 2.2h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $4.69 | $5.36 | +14% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1997 to 2000, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.1h → 2.2h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1997 to 2000, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.3h → 0.3h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
1139.5h → 1082.4h
easier
29.5h → 28.7h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
174.8h → 173.4h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1997 ($37,010), you'd need $39,700 in 2000 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (160.5 → 172.2).