1997 vs 2001
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+14.1%
Median Home
+19.4%
Housing Labor
1.0x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1997 Price | 2001 Price | Change | Hours 1997 | Hours 2001 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.06 | $0.93 | -12% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.87 | $1.00 | +15% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.61 | $2.88 | +10% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.23 | $1.46 | +18% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.40 | $1.71 | +23% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.00 | $1.11 | +10% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.68 | $3.25 | +21% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $4.11 | $3.09 | -25% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.92 | $3.70 | +27% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.17 | $5.96 | +15% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.09 | -2% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,111 | $3,735 | +20% | 174.8h | 184.0h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $20,276 | $22,457 | +11% | 1139.5h | 1106.1h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $525 | $605 | +15% | 29.5h | 29.8h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $37.03 | $43.32 | +17% | 2.1h | 2.1h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $4.69 | $5.56 | +19% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1997 to 2001, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
174.8h → 184.0h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.1h → 2.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
29.5h → 29.8h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1997 to 2001, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1997 ($37,010), you'd need $40,818 in 2001 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (160.5 → 177.0).