1997 vs 2004
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+19.8%
Median Home
+50.4%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1997 Price | 2004 Price | Change | Hours 1997 | Hours 2004 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.06 | $1.34 | +27% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.87 | $0.97 | +11% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.61 | $3.16 | +21% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.23 | $1.88 | +52% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.40 | $2.16 | +55% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.00 | $1.07 | +7% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.68 | $3.38 | +26% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $4.11 | $2.85 | -31% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.92 | $3.84 | +32% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.17 | $6.92 | +34% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.09 | 0% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,111 | $5,027 | +62% | 174.8h | 235.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $20,276 | $23,686 | +17% | 1139.5h | 1111.4h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $525 | $665 | +27% | 29.5h | 31.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $37.03 | $55.93 | +51% | 2.1h | 2.6h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $4.69 | $6.22 | +33% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1997 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
174.8h → 235.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.1h → 2.6h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
29.5h → 31.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1997 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
1139.5h → 1111.4h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1997 ($37,010), you'd need $43,554 in 2004 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (160.5 → 188.9).