1997 vs 2005
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+25.2%
Median Home
+63.1%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1997 Price | 2005 Price | Change | Hours 1997 | Hours 2005 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.06 | $1.22 | +15% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.87 | $1.04 | +19% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.61 | $3.19 | +22% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.23 | $2.30 | +86% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.40 | $2.30 | +64% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.00 | $1.06 | +5% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.68 | $3.39 | +26% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $4.11 | $3.26 | -21% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.92 | $3.74 | +28% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.17 | $7.77 | +50% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.10 | +6% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,111 | $5,351 | +72% | 174.8h | 240.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $20,276 | $25,164 | +24% | 1139.5h | 1129.7h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $525 | $685 | +30% | 29.5h | 30.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $37.03 | $68.19 | +84% | 2.1h | 3.1h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $4.69 | $6.42 | +37% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1997 to 2005, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.1h → 3.1h
harder
174.8h → 240.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
29.5h → 30.7h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1997 to 2005, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1997 ($37,010), you'd need $45,020 in 2005 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (160.5 → 195.3).