1997 vs 2006
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+30.2%
Median Home
+68.1%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1997 Price | 2006 Price | Change | Hours 1997 | Hours 2006 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.06 | $1.31 | +23% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.87 | $1.08 | +24% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.61 | $3.08 | +18% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.23 | $2.59 | +110% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.40 | $2.22 | +59% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.00 | $1.05 | +5% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.68 | $3.44 | +28% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $4.11 | $3.20 | -22% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.92 | $3.75 | +29% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.17 | $7.90 | +53% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.11 | +19% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,111 | $5,666 | +82% | 174.8h | 244.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $20,276 | $25,950 | +28% | 1139.5h | 1119.8h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $525 | $709 | +35% | 29.5h | 30.6h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $37.03 | $76.82 | +107% | 2.1h | 3.3h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $4.69 | $6.65 | +42% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1997 to 2006, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.1h → 3.3h
harder
174.8h → 244.5h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
29.5h → 30.6h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1997 to 2006, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
1139.5h → 1119.8h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1997 ($37,010), you'd need $46,470 in 2006 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (160.5 → 201.6).